186 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



In about twenty minutes a black fin appeared 

 moving to and fro near one bait, but rather shyly. 

 The harpooner, who had brought his weapon, the 

 beam of which was a huge pole, commenced by 

 pulling in the second bait. Then the other was 

 draw^n in very slowly, the shark following. At 

 last it was right under the counter. The shark 

 seemed unwilling to close with it, and we began 

 to think we must fire. At last he made up his 

 mind, and, dashing in, turned up his white belly to 

 seize the bait. 



At that moment the black raised his harpoon, 

 drawing up his figure to its height. He looked 

 like a statue in ebony. The harpoon sped true, 



and II and I emptied our rifles into the shark, 



which plunged violently and made off, taking out 

 yards of the line. The lightship man, harpooner, 

 and our boatmen all " tailed on " to the rope, but 



still they had to give ground. Meanwhile H 



and I fired whenever we could get a clear shot. 

 At last the struggles got weaker, and the line 

 began to come in foot by foot. When the shark 

 was right under the counter a couple of bullets in 

 the head finished him. A noose was thrown over 

 his tail, and he was drawn up to the gangway. 

 He w^as between eight and nine feet long. The 

 harpooner cut out his weapon, the baits were let 

 out again, and we sat down to lunch. 



The view from the lightship is very fine, the 

 mountains all around being of the most rugged and 

 curious shapes, while highest of all rises the extra- 

 ordinary " Pieter Bot," shaped like a gigantic 

 spear-head. Strange to say, it has been repeatedly 

 ascended, though it is necessary to put up some 



