A LABORIOUS PROCESS. 335 



watched the course taken by the shark, and indicated to 

 the steersman the way in which he should steer. After 

 a second hour four men grappled at the rope, and com- 

 menced to pull against the fish, taking in rope whenever 

 they could. Three hours passed, and the contest grew 

 earnest ; every man in the boat, sitting one behind the 

 other, held on the rope, and sought to weary out the 

 wounded monster. As the boat sunk in the trough of 

 the sea, the slack was hauled in, and carefully coiled by 

 the last man. On its rising to the next wave, " Hold on 

 all ! " was the word, and the reluctant shark was lifted a 

 few feet. The same process was repeated at every dip 

 and rise until many fathoms had been taken in, when 

 the fish suddenly went away with a rush, the rope whirl- 

 ing through the men's hands as though they were the 

 hands of infants. The rush was not checked until up- 

 wards of a hundred fathoms had run out, then the labor- 

 ious process of hauling in was recommenced. 



A laborious process, indeed ! For at times the mighty 

 fish made a fresh start, and away went the rope through 

 the bleeding hands of the weary fishers ! Again it was 

 gathered up, coil after coil ; and so the work went on, 

 while further and further out to sea the good boat was 

 carried, and the hours passed rapidly by, and darkness 

 came down upon the waters. At length, a second 

 harpoon was got ready. The weather was lowering, 

 and the sea ran high. Evidently the fish must be 

 killed at once, or the fishers would have to cut their gear 

 and run to the nearest shore for shelter. So the rope 

 was hauled in fathom by fathom, till but ten or twelve 

 fathoms stretched between the pursuers and their quarry. 

 Nearer and nearer came the fish; the harpooneer stood in 



(502) 22 



