380 Big Game Fishes 



waters, the line tautened, and allowing a few sec- 

 onds to pass, and as many feet of line to glide 

 over, I jerked the hook into the shark. With all 

 my care I was hauled to my knees, losing the 

 line which rose from the carefully laid coil like a 

 living thing. We were in water two hundred 

 feet deep, and before I realized it the line was ex- 

 hausted, and no flat-bottomed, broad-sterned skiff 

 ever came so near being literally dragged bodily 

 under water as did this. My boatman was utterly 

 demoralized, and more than once I pressed the 

 open knife which I had ready, upon the line, as 

 the boat sank to the danger line. 



All this time the boat was moving directly out 

 into the channel, carrying a big wave beneath 

 her, the shark having sounded like a whale, the 

 line being so stiff and taut that I could not move 

 it. My companion now shipped the oars and 

 held them, trying to row ; but this had no effect, 

 and the shark towed us a mile at the top of its 

 speed before I made any impression on the line, 

 and then it became evident that we should have 

 to cut line or gain on the fish ; so I manned the 

 line and hauled, leading the line forward between 

 my feet, my companion coiling it as I hauled, 

 the boat being so light and unstable that but one 



