“Some one on board shouted that a thresher was attacking a whale. The ship’s speed was slackened, and as the eager passengers crowded to the rail it gave a list to port. Man has never witnessed a fearful conflict than that which occurred the next half hour.
“The thresher is a most peculiar fish. While it is in shape something like a shark, its main weapon of offense instead of its mouth is its tail, the tips or which are as hard as bone.
“Before the startled whale could get into motion the long, black, flail-like tall we had seen poise and strike repeated the blow three or four times in quick succession.
“Then the whale dove, and it was plainly his intention to sweep the enemy from his hold by a rush. But neither fish remained under water long. With a leap like that of a monster brook trout the whale cleared the surface and for an instant formed a huge arch.
“Notwithstanding that up to this time we had noticed only the whale and the thresher shark. It quickly herein apparent that a third combatant was in the field. This combatant we soon learned was a swordfish, the thresher’s inevitable hunting companion.
“The swordfish grows to it length of twelve and fifteen feet, with a sword three or four feet long, but small as he is in comparison to the whale he is capable of doing terrible execution with his weapon.
“When the combat had continued for fifteen minutes the shark accomplished what appeared to be his objective point. He obtained a grip with his teeth upon the whale’s jaw and as he clung there delivered blow after blow, upon his monster enemy’s side.
