. Crusoe's Island; a bird-hunter's story . erwhenever they saw me approach the water, salutingme with joyous screams. This was very delightfulto me in my solitude; but the presence of the fishbait and the noise of the birds attracted other denizensof the water, and came near being my destruction. One morning, while I was floating placidly on thewater, my face upturned to the sky, I felt the ap-proach of danger. Quickly raising my head, I saw agreat gray ghost approaching—an immense shark,swimming swiftly and silently, his erect back finhardly making a ripple on the surface of the water!Then th
. Crusoe's Island; a bird-hunter's story . erwhenever they saw me approach the water, salutingme with joyous screams. This was very delightfulto me in my solitude; but the presence of the fishbait and the noise of the birds attracted other denizensof the water, and came near being my destruction. One morning, while I was floating placidly on thewater, my face upturned to the sky, I felt the ap-proach of danger. Quickly raising my head, I saw agreat gray ghost approaching—an immense shark,swimming swiftly and silently, his erect back finhardly making a ripple on the surface of the water!Then there was a sudden swirl in the water as heturned half over to seize my extended arm. A thrillof terror shot through me. He missed me by scarcely a handbreadth as Iscrambled for the shore ; but fortunately I was inshallow water, and so evaded him and regained the 16 CRUSOES ISLAND. beach. He followed me right into the surf, and witha snap of his great jaws, thick set with rows of pointedteeth, gathered in a mouthful of the fish I had left. ^^ The gray ghost. there for my birds. I didnot wait to expostulate,but ran to the hut, seizedmy gun, slipped in acharge of large shot, hur-ried back and fired theload into his side beforehe could get away. It was in vain that he splashedabout and gnashed his cruel teeth ; I soon had him outof the water and his head cut off, and it was not longbefore my gulls and terns were feasting on his must be another shark, I knew, for theseman-eaters always swim in pairs; so I kept my eyesopen for its mate. It did not come that morning, northe next, and I was regaining my feeling of carelesssecurity, when it was suddenly dispelled by the second ENEMIES ASHORE AND AFLOAT. It intruder. I had not discontinued my baths; but Ialways took a big stick into the water with me, andswam very near the surf. At last the other shark came in, but fortunately Isaw her before she reached me. She shied off todeep water as I ran for my gun, returning later a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidcrusoesi, booksubjectbirds
