Show IN A SHARKS MOT ull T WAS while cruising about oft off the east coast of north T carolina that I 1 first made the acquaintance of mark dare one of 0 the boat best R 1 known divers for miles around he was a man ot of some 72 years when I 1 first met him but one would have set him down a at t not more than 55 50 5 to look at him tall straight as a stick ot of powerful build and ana with a face denoting in every lineament the daring fearlessness ot of Us his nature he was a man calculated to inspire admiration wherever he went ile he was as full of stories as one of the tallest buildings in new york city and a nd nothing pleased him better than to relate his experiences to an attentive listener among other yarris yarns he spun to me the following adventure which lie he stated was the narrowest escape he had ever had from death it seems the atlanta one of the finest coasting vessels on the coast of north carolina and georgia was capsized in it a squall on the of september 1853 and sank just inside the bar near the little town of morehead the owners of the craft contracted with a diving company to have her raised and to recover as much ot of her cargo as was still serviceable mark dare and another diver were engaged to do the work they made several successful descents but on the fourth trip hark alark met with the adventure of which I 1 spoke his comrade signaled hastily to be drawn up aej an 3 when he had been hauled into the boat he related how dare had been seized by a huge white shark and carried oft off but scarcely had he done speaking when mark rose from the ater water vi fifty yards from the boat and was picked up insensible with several ragged holes punched in the metallic part of his diving suit means were successfully adopted to bring him round and when he had sufficiently recovered lie he told of his thrilling experience peri ence As you know said he be we had made our fourth descent and while my companions clambered into the submerged vessel I 1 waited on the ground till ho be should attach the cords to draw something out I 1 was about to signal to be drawn up tor for a moments rest when I 1 noticed a shadowy body moving at some distance above my head and toward me in id a moment every fish had disappeared as if by magic the v v crustaceans themselves lay jn an the sand and the scuttle fi ried away as fast as the 1 I was not ng ing of danger and my first thought was that it was the shadow of a passing boat but suddenly a feeling of terror seized me I 1 felt impelled to flee from something I 1 knew new not what A vague horror seemed grasping me such as a child fancies when lea leaving ing a darkened room by this time the shadow had come nearer and taken shape it had scarcely needed a glance to show me that it was a man eater and of the largest size had I 1 signaled to be drawn up then it would haie been certain death all I 1 could do was to remain still until it ft left it lay off twenty or twenty five feet just outside the rigging of the ship its ita body motionless its fins fills barely stirring the water about its gills 1 I was sure that the fish was thirty toot feet lon long and so near that I 1 could see its doubt double row of white teeth involuntarily unta rily I 1 shrank closer to the side of the wreck but my first movement betrayed my presence 1 I saw the shining eyes fixed upon me its tail quivered and then it dart IT WAS A MAN EATER ed cd at me like a streak ot of lightning I 1 shrank still closer to the side of the ship 1 I saw it turn on one side its mouth open and hoard heard the teeth snap viciously as it darted past me it had missed me but only for a moment the sweep of 0 its great tail had thrown me forward the shark turned balanced itself and willi quivering tail it darted at mo inn azain acain there was no escano uila time it turned on its dack as it swooped down on me like a hawk on it sparrow the cavernous jaws opened and the long shiny teeth grated as they closed on my metal harness it had me I 1 could feel those sharp teeth grinding upon my copper breastplate as it tri tried ed to bite me in two for fortunately it had caught me just across the middle where inhere I 1 was best protected having seized me the man eater cater went pent tearing through the water I 1 could feel it bound forward at every of its tail had it not been tor my copper helmet my head would have been torn oft off by the rush through the water 1 I was perfectly conscious but somehow I 1 felt no terror at all there seemed only a feeling of numbness I 1 wondered how long it would be before those teeth would crunch through and whether they would strike first into my back or my breast all these thoughts passed through my brain in an instant but in that time the connecting air tube had been snapped and my head appeared ready to burst with pressure while the monsters teeth kept crunching crunching away upon my harness then I 1 felt the cold water begin to pour in and heard the bubble bubble bubble as the air escaped into the sharks mouth 1 I began to hear great guns and to see fireworks and rainbows anil and sunshine and all kinds of pretty things then I 1 thought I 1 was floating away on a rosy summer cloud dreaming to the sounds of sweet music which every moment became fainter and fainter until only a low hum reached me then all became blank the shark might have eaten me then at his leisure and I 1 never would have been the wiser whatever induced the creature to release me of course I 1 shall never know perhaps he found me ton hanzli hut bp that as it may you can imagine my astonishment and delight when I 1 opened my eyes on board this boat and saw you fellows around me SAILOR LAD |