Volume I Part 6 (1/2)

CHAPTER XVIII My Lord Shark And His Pages

There is a fish in the sea that everoes abroad attended by his suite It is the Shovel-nosed Shark A cluic monster, unshapely as his name, and the last species of his kind, one would think, to be so bravely waited upon, as he is

His suite is composed of those dainty little creatures called Pilot fish by sailors But by night his retinue is frequently increased by the presence of several s their fla the e-like, to carry his caudal train

Now the relation subsisting between the Pilot fish above ainly lord, sees in nature At any rate, it poses poor me to comprehend That a monster so ferocious, should suffer five or six little sparks, hardly fourteen inches long, to garie But when it is considered, that by a reciprocal understanding, the Pilot fish seeer, and apprising hi killed, evincing their anguish by certain agitations, otherwise inexplicable; the whole thing becomes a mystery unfathomable Truly marvels abound It needs no dead s Evenmarveled full as much at those Pilot fish as he would have marveled at the Pentecost

But perhaps a little incident, occurring about this period, will best illustrate the , hardly three knots an hour, when unwale, suddenly started to his feet, and pointed out an ith distant, and about half a fathom beneath the surface A lance was at once snatched fro, Jarl was about to dart it at the fish, when, interested by the sight of its radiant little scouts, I begged hiht under the shark, nibbling at his ventral fin; another above, hovering about his dorsal appurtenance; one on each flank; and a frisking fifth pranking about his nose, see to say of a confidential nature They were of a bright, steel-blue color, alternated with jet black stripes; with glistening bellies of a silver-white Clinging to the back of the shark, were four or five Re-fish; snaky parasites, impossible to re their lives

The Re; hence its sole locoer fish Leech-like, it sticketh closer than a false brother in prosperity; closer than a beggar to the benevolent; closer than Webster to the Constitution But it feeds upon what it clings to; its feelers having a direct coishly; creating no sign of a ripple, but ever and, anon shaking his Medusa locks, writhing and curling with horrible life Now and then, the nimble Pilot fish darted from his side--this way and that-- a fresh start ever returning to their liege lord to report progress

A thought strucka rope's end with a morsel of our almost useless salt beef, I suffered it to trail in the sea Instantly the foremost scout swa, briskly snuffed at the line, and taking one finical little nibble, retreated toward the shark Another reat Ta his black, cannon-like nose directly toward our broadside Meanwhile, the little Pilot fish darted hither and thither; keeping up a , like itation

Presently, Ta the Cha a rush for it, in the foam he made aith the bait But the next instant, the uplifted lance sped at his skull; and thrashi+ng his requieh his own blood, out of sight

Doith him swam the terrified Pilot fish; but soon after, three of the at a uniform pace; one an each side, and one in advance; even as they had attended their lord Doubtless, one was under our keel

”A good o as they stay”

But however that ht be, follow us they did, for many days after: until an event occurred, which necessitated their withdrawal

CHAPTER XIX Who Goes There?

Jarl's oar showed sixteen notches on the loo, as the expanded sun touched the horizon's rim, a shi+p's upperainst its crimson disk

It looked like a far-off craft on fire

In bright weather at sea, a sail, invisible in the full flood of noon, becomes perceptible toward sunset It is the reverse in the h in reality approaching, recedes froher

This holds true, till its vicinity makes it readily fall within the ordinary scope of vision And thus, too, here and there, with other distant things: the ht you throw on them, the ht

The sight of the stranger not a little surprised us But brightening up, as if the encounter elcoed his de aupon Jarl, as somewhat backward to obey, I shi+pped the oars; and, both rowing, we stood away obliquely from our former course

I divined that the vessel was a whaler; and hence, that by help of the glass, hich her look-outs ht possibly have descried us; especially, as ere due east from the shi+p; a direction, which at sunset is the onea far-off object at sea

Furthermore, our canvas was snohite and conspicuous To be sure, we could not be certain what kind of a vessel it was; but whatever it ht be, I, for one, had no mind to risk an encounter; for it was quite plain, that if the stranger ca distance, there would be no resource but to link our fortunes with hers; whereas I desired to pursue none but the Cha wistfully over his shoulder; doubtless, praying Heaven, that we ht to avoid

Now, upon a closer scrutiny, being pretty well convinced that the stranger, after all, was steering a nearly westerly course--right away fro's entreaties, seconded by inal course; and so follow after the vessel, with a view of obtaining a nearer glier of detection So, boldly we steered for the sail

But not gaining htness of the breeze (a circu a shi+p, and we but a boat), at uiding our way by the forh the helm was left to itself

As we came nearer, it was plain that the vessel was no whaler; but a santine Her sails were in a state of unaccountable disarray; only the foresail,set The first was much tattered; and the jib was hoisted but half way up the stay, where it idly flapped, the breeze co from over the taffrail She continually yawed in her course; now al her stern