142 THE CRAKEN. 
anxiety, and, I may add, horror, waiting the 
result of this fearful encounter. Suddenly, 
the Native made his re-appearance, holding 
up both his hands over his head, and calling 
out, with a voice that proclaimed the victory 
he had won while underneath the waves, 
‘'Tan-tan!? The people in the boat were 
all prepared ; the rope was instantly drawn 
tight; and the struggling victim, lashing 
the water in his wrath, was dragged to the 
shore and despatched. When measured, 
his length was found to be six feet nine 
inches. The Native who achieved this in- 
trepid and dangerous exploit was no other- 
wise hurt than by a cut on the left arm, evi- 
dently inflicted by the tail or by one of the 
fins of the Shark.’ 
“As to the really Great, or Basking 
Shark,” added the Admiral, ‘ it is certainly 
the real Craken of the old Norwegian wri- 
ters. However extravagantly misrepresent- 
ed, the true history of the Basking Shark 
agrees with the fabulous history of the 
Craken in all its credible and essential parti- 
culars.” 
