OUR GUNNNER’S SHOT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 473, 21 May 1890, Page 4

OUR GUNNNER’S SHOT.

Our noble ship lay at anchor in the bay of Tangier, a fortified town in the extreme north-west of Africa. The day had been extremely mild, with a gentle breeze sweeping northward and westward, but towards the close of the afternoon the sea breeze died away, and one of those sultry, ovenlike atmospheric breathings came from the great sun-burnt Sahara. Half-nn-hour before sundown the captain gave the order to the boatswain to call the hands to go in swimming, and in less than five minutes the forms of our tars were seen leaping from the gangways, the ports, the nettings, bowsprit, and some of the more venturesome took their leap from the arms of the lower yard. One of the studding sails had been lowered into the water, with its corners suspended from the mainyard arm and the swinging boom, and into these some of the swimmers made their way. Among those who seemed to be enjoying the sport most heartily, wero two of the boys, Tim Wallace and Fred Fairbanks, the latter of whom was the son of our old gunner, and in a laughing mood they started out from the studding sail on a race.

There was a loud ringing shout of joy on their lips, as they put off, and they started through the water like fish. The surlaceof the eea was as smooth as glass, though its bosom rose in long and heavy swells that set in from the Atlantic. The vessel was moored, with a long sweep from both cables, and the buoy of the starboard quartei - , whore it rose and fell with the swells like a drunken man.

Towards the buoy the two lads made their way, Fred Fairbanks taking the lead, but when they were within twenty or thirty fathoms of the buoy, Tim shot ahead and promised to win the race. The old gunner watched the progress of his son with a vast deal of pride, and when he saw him drop behind, ho leaped upon the poop, and wa9 on the point of urging him on by a shout, when a cry reached him that made him start as if he had been struck by a cannon ball.

* A shark ! a shark ! ’ came from the captain of tho forecastle, and at the sound of the terrible words the men who were in the water leaped and plunged towards the ship. Right abeam, at the distance of three or four cables’ length, a shark-wake was seen in the water, whore the back of the monster was visible. His course was for the boys. For a moment the gunner stood like one bereft of sense, but the next he shouted at the top of his voice for the boys to turn, but the little fellows heard him not. Stoutly the two swimmers strove for the goal, all unconscious of the fearful death-like spirit that hovered so near them. Their merry laugh still rang out over the water, and at length they both touched the buoy together. Oh ! what drops of agony stood on the brow of our old gunner. A boat had put off, but Fairbanks knew that it could not reach them in season, and every moment he expected to see the monster sink from sight and then he knew that all hope would be gone. At that moment a cry reached the ship that went through every heart like a stream of fire—the boys had discovered their enemy ! The cry startled old Fairbanks to his senses, and quicker than thought he sprang to the quarter-deck. The guns were all loaded and shotted fore and aft, and none knew their temper better than he. With a steady hand, madestrong by a sudden hope, the old gunner seized a priming wire, and picked the cartridge of one of the quarter guns ; then he took from his pocket a percussion wafer, and set it in its place, and set back the hammer of the patent lock. With a steady, giant strength, the old man swayed the breach of the heavy gun to its bearing, and then, seizing the string lock, he stood back and watched for the next swell that would bring the shark in range. He had aimed the piece some distance ahead of his mark, but yet a single moment would settle his hopes and fears.

Every breath was hushed, and every heart in that old ship beat painfully. The boat was yet seme distance, from the boys, while the horrible Bea monster was fearfully near. Suddenly the air was awoke' by the roar of a heavy gun, and as the old man knew his shot was gone, he sank back on the combing of the hatch, to see the result of his efforts, for if he had failed he knew that his boy was lost.

For a moment after the report of the gun had died away upon the air, there was a dead silence, but as the smoke arose from the surface of the water, there was at first a low murmur breaking from the lips of the men; that murmur grew louder and stronger until it swelled to a joyous, deafening shout. The old gunner sprang to his feet and gazed out upon the water, and the first thing that met his view was the huge carcase of the shark floating with its belly up, a mangled mass.

In a few moments the boat reached the daring swimmers, and half dead with fright, they were brought on board. The old man clasped his boy in his arms, and then, overcome by the powerful excitement, he leaned upon the gun for support. I have seen men in all the phases of excitement and suspense, but never have I seen three hundred human beings more overcome with thrilling emotions than on that event ful moment, when they first knew the effe of our gunner’s shot.