The Leaping Sharks 379 



in the bottom of the boat; presently I saw the 

 barrel of a rifle, and one of the men began pump- 

 ing bullets at the big. creature, some of which 

 must have taken effect, as it swam off, but still on 

 the surface, its dorsal fin looking like a miniature 

 lateen sail. 



I determined, if possible, to catch the shark, and 

 followed it into the bay of Avalon, and while I 

 hurried inshore to get a shark line it dashed into 

 a fleet of small boats and endeavored to steal the 

 fish. When I again reached my boat, which 

 was a two-hundred-pound, flat-bottomed skiff, I 

 found that the hammerhead was still swimming 

 about, defying the entire floating community. 

 The boats were following it, men shooting at it 

 with revolvers, or striking at it with oars and 

 boat-hooks ; but I could not see that it paid any 

 attention to these attacks except now to continue 

 around the shore and so out of the bay on the 

 opposite side. I had secured a long cod line 

 with a jewfish hook, which I had baited with a 

 ten-pound fish, coiling the line astern. A fresh 

 companion rowed me directly out of the bay in 

 order, if possible, to intercept the animal, and in 

 ten minutes we were in its path. As it came on, 

 I swung the bait at it. There was a swirl of 



