ODDS AND ENDS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1870, 13 February 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

ODDS AND ENDS.

A Shark's Dinner.

How a Foolhardy Young Penn3ylvanian

Courted Destruction.

We had been fi3hing for eea bass in Great Egg Harbor, eaya a writer in an exchange, and had hauled in our lines to eas luncheon, when, glancing over tha port quarter of the yaoht, I encountered the eyes of a shark. His euout and head were there, of course, but I scarcely saw anything but the eyes. Tae water was as clear as glass, and ha was not more than two feet above the surface. Bach eyes 1 Tuey hadn't the fire of a serpent's nor the glaesygreen of a mad dog'a, buC there waa something so devilish in tne way he stared r.t me — something so murderous and malignant — that I yelled right oat and was made the butt of ridicule.

One and all, txcept the sailor in charge of the boat, vigorously denied that I had seen a shark.

When ha was appealed to, he soberly replied :

" I cannpt cay.but I know that man-eaters come in here."

We had with ua a young man from Western Pennbylvania, a tali, raw-boned, demonstrative cbcp, whose clatter no one could kefp still wnsn we had our lines cut.

When we had finished luncheon he uttorad anotl cr Rneer at my pale face, pulled c ir hi 3 coat and gftiter3, and, standing up on the rail, he crowed like a cock and snouted:

" I'm going to give that shark a chanoe to get a good dinner!"

With that he sprang overboard and swam about fifty feet. There was only a raille of a sea on, and he was a swimmer who would nave thought nothing oi a mile pull.

Tug boatman shouted to him to come back, bus the others laughed aad the swimmer laughed with them.

I was standing up in the ccckpit looking over and beyond tue man, when 1 saw a black obj-.ct nuing on the surface. It looked to ma hke a small duck, and I waa wondering how it moved co swiftly, when it suddenly disappeared. l (l ive rninufcea later, the svumuier heaved himself up breast high, flung his aims over his head and uttered a scream which yet rings in rnj card. Tden be disappeared, and tho awful silence amocg ua waa broken by the voice of the boatman, saying ; '• He has been pulled down by a maneater V

The object I had PC-en flitting on the surface was jae dor E al fia cf a ebaik.

There w^a the shiik — a bplash — a swirl — and nothing moru. Tha shark had his dinner.

They had bosn sitting before li;s fira for ever su luug without speaking ; they had discussed every subject, and were now gazing dreamily into the fire. Finally, ho turned 'o her and said : " Miss Maud, weally, I ciwn't see what tho newspaper j mean by eajing that mairiago is a failure ; now 100k — " B <t she had reached 35 and did not deem it wise to look.

She simply glided to hie side, and put her head on his manly bosom and said , " Oh, Harry, this is bo sudden,"

His only reply was : "Yaws — rawther." '• Then mamma caught them in the aot, and 1 he couldn't get out of it. They will be married early in June.

"I see il reported that the remains of the first Napoleon have been stolen," remarked the horse editor.

" Ah," replied the snake editor ; •' well, I should think there was nothing left to steal by this time but his bony part."