By some quaint process of
reasoning the companions of the boy who was killed connected his death
with the attack upon the other, the scene of which was 200 miles
distant, and became convinced that he had been the victim of another kind
altogether "--a sort of mysterious marine debil-debil," not known to
entire satisfaction by the best-informed black boy, and quite beyond the
comprehension of the dull-witted white man. Having thus conclusively to
their minds set at naught the theory that a shark was responsible, it was
absolutely unreasonable to fear sharks generally. Why should they blame
a shark when it was established beyond doubt that nothing but a
"debil-debil" could have killed "Jimmy"? Their opinion was founded on this
invincible array of logic: If a shark had killed "Jimmy," it must have
been seen. Nothing was seen, therefore it must have been a "debil-debil."
And the incident was accepted as a further and most emphatic proof of the
contention that sharks do not "fight" live black boys. The single instance
at Princess Charlotte Bay was an exception.
Our tame sharks seem to have no fear of animals larger even than man. A
shallow stretch of water half a mile broad separates the islets of
Mung-un-gnackum and Kumboola from Dunk Island.
Pages:
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248