HURI-HURI’S SHARK.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 6 December 1924, Page 8

HURI-HURI’S SHARK.

’THE MAO OF RAN GIRO A. There is a remarkable shark story in Mr. Frederick o‘Brien's “Atolls ol : the Bun.” An old diver,-addicted to- rum, named Huri-Huri, was divingin the lagoon of Rangiroa, and a native thus describes his experience: He was all alone in his canoe, and was in deep water. He had gone down several times,' and had in his canoe .four or five .pairs of shells. He looked again and saw another pair, and plunged to the bottom. He had the shells in his sack and was leaying the bank, when he saw just above him a shark so big that, as he said, it could have bitten him in half as a- man eats a banana.. The shark thrust down its nose toward Huri-Huri, and he took out his shells and held them against the beast. He kept its nose down for half a- minute/ but then was out of breath. He was about to die, he believed, unless he could reach the air without the shark following him. He threw himself on the shark’s hack, and put his hands in the fish’s gills, and so- stopped or partly stopped the shark’s breathing. The shark did not know what- to make | of that, and hurried upward, headed for the surface by the diver. HuriHuri was afraid to let go even there, because he knew the mao would turn on him and tear him to pieces. But lw took several long breaths in the way a diver understands, and still held on, and tore the shark’s breathing places. “Now the shark was angry and puzzled, and so rushed to the bottom again, but with the man on his back. Tire shark had not been able to enjoy the air at the top because he breathed water and not air. Huri-Huri closed his gill openings, and piloted him and so he came up again and again descended. By pulling at the gills the shark’s head was hromdit up and he began to rise. All the time HuriHuri was thinking hard about God and his own evil life. He knew that each second might be his la.st one in life, and he prayed. He thought of lona (Joimh). who was saved out of the whale’s bellv in. the sea, when Christ was born, and he asked lona to help him. Lp and down thev went for half an hour, the .shark's blood pouring out over lliiri-Huri’s hand as. he. minute •iter minute, tore at the gills. Now he could direct the shark any way, and 'ften he guided him toward the beach of the lagoon. The shark would swim toward it. but when lie felt the shallow water would turn. But after many minutes, the "hark li-d to '«ta-v on top altogether because he was too far gone to dive, and finally Huri-Huri fell off the mao 'slrr-l-d and crawled u» furthe-. out of reaHi of him. The fish could haixllv move his tail when the watchers on tlm chore recked if. and everv Lit of skin wa.s ruMi-ed. eff the diver’s body, i-.i- tbo .«h. ,,v k*s hmlv is as rough as a but the (liver lived to become a deeply religious man.