WONDERS OF THE DEEP 93 



have this battle between a man and a shark. It must 

 be real, and there must not be any fake about it. 



Whatever was to be done must be done 

 quickly, for the natives explained that now that 

 one of their number had been killed, the entire 

 school of sharks might suddenly leave as quickly 

 as they had appeared, and once they deserted the 

 carcase of the horse it would take days of coax- 

 ing and patient waiting to get them to come 

 within range of the camera again. Moreover, they 

 might be so scared at the mysterious-looking 

 apparatus which had entered their haunts and 

 killed one of their family, that they would never 

 approach it again for months. 



But Ernest Williamson was obdurate. They 

 could not miss this splendid opportunity, and the 

 only way to get the thing done properly for the 

 camera was to do it themselves. 



"What! kill a shark?" inquired the others. 



" Exactly. It is not a difficult trick. I have 

 been watching that native, and I believe I can go 

 down and do it precisely the way he did, and 

 within the range of the camera, too ! Come on. 

 We'll try it." And Ernest Williamson prepared to 

 make his descent into the waters of Nassau Harbour. 



He stripped off his clothes, while the crew 

 smeared his body with porpoise oil, native fashion, 

 and, taking the keen-edged knife between his teeth, 

 he leaped overboard into the sea. He made for a 

 big shark, which had seen him and was making 

 for him with mouth wide open, showing his six 



