Waited For By A Shark

The following deserves a place among the many thrilling adveutures of professional divers under the sea. The San Francisco Ledger tells the story of a singular character nicknamed "On Deck." "On Deck" led an eventful life. A sailor in youth, a diver in manhood, and a 'ne'er-do-well' in oíd age, he saw more than falls to the lot of most men. He carne to California in early times, and was the hero of a shark story, remarkable as the only one having trnth for foundation native to our harbor born. In 1851 James Cartón, a stevedore, while warping the ship Genessee to a berth off Market Street wharf , lost an anchor, 'On Deck' was the only diver except Bill Mathews then known in the city, and was sent for to recover the anchor. "On Deck' complied, and while so engaged noticed a shark hovering a few feetabove him, evidently observing his movements. The fish was at least eigthteen feet long, and was known as the 'bottle nose,' one of the most voracious of the shark kind. This discovery naturally alarmed the diver. He had found the anchor, made a cable fast to it, and was about asoending when the appearance of the shark made him pause. He had heard that sharks did not molest men in armor. He doübted this, and did not feel now like risking the experiment He moved a few paces from the anchor. The shark moved, too. He removed to his former place ; the shark followed. He was evidently, to use his own words, "spotted by the bottle-nose f or a supper,' and, unless signally favored, would fall a victim to its voracity. He hardly knew how to act, when he thought of thecuttle fish ; how that singular creatnre often escapes its enemies by darkening the waters with an inky Iiquor ejected from its body. He accordingly stirred up the mnd at tho bottom till the water was darkened around him, cast off his weights, and lignalled the man to haul him up. He vas Inuiled up immediatoly, but did not entirely escape. The shark snapped at him as he ascended, and tliree of his toes were taken jff. Muddying the water saved his life. A tottng lady asked a WilliamRport (Pa.) man in a music store, "Have you happy dreams ?' was astonished when he repbed, 'No, ma'am, I'm mostly troubleí with tho nightmare."