The Leaping Sharks 381 



could work. It was most difficult and laborious 

 work, I will not call it sport, though in its 

 excitement and danger there was enjoyment of a 

 certain kind, and time and again the lusty shark 

 tore the line from my hands and threatened to 

 sink us ; but after half an hour I had it in hand. 

 When it lunged I lay back and held on with my 

 knife between my teeth, and presently found 

 that I could hold it; hence the strength of the 

 shark was on the wane, whereupon I played it 

 with renewed courage, hauling it as rapidly as 

 possible, holding hard when it rushed ; in this 

 way I soon brought the shark so near the surface 

 that in glancing over the stern I could see it 

 circling below. Looking back at the distant bay 

 I saw that we were followed by a number of 

 boats, yet we were still being towed at such a 

 pace that the men had to pull at full speed to 

 catch up to us, and by the time the first boat 

 came up and threw us a line I had the shark 

 within ten feet and saw that I could hold it ; but 

 it was evident that two skiffs were not a match 

 for this doughty game, and it was not until five 

 boats were in line, and ten oars pulling against it, 

 that the victorious flotilla began to move inshore. 

 The shark's head was now partly out of water, 



