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  Now 
  it 
  began 
  to 
  lasli 
  about 
  furiously 
  with 
  its 
  tail, 
  feeling 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  

   the 
  pain 
  arising 
  from 
  the 
  severe 
  constriction 
  of 
  its 
  stomach 
  by 
  the 
  ropes. 
  

  

  Then 
  the 
  bearers 
  of 
  arms 
  leaped 
  forth. 
  A 
  wonderful 
  sight 
  ! 
  The 
  

   monster's 
  tail 
  was 
  vigorously 
  assaulted 
  by 
  them 
  ; 
  they 
  stabbed 
  it 
  over 
  and 
  

   over 
  with 
  their 
  hardwood 
  digging 
  picks 
  and 
  their 
  long 
  spears, 
  and 
  pounded 
  

   it 
  with 
  their 
  clubs, 
  so 
  that 
  even 
  its 
  head 
  felt 
  the 
  great 
  amount 
  of 
  pain 
  

   inflicted 
  on 
  its 
  tail, 
  together 
  with 
  that 
  arising 
  from 
  the 
  severe 
  constriction 
  of 
  

   the 
  ropes 
  on 
  its 
  softer 
  parts. 
  Now 
  the 
  monster 
  began 
  to 
  rear 
  and 
  to 
  knock 
  

   about 
  dreadfully 
  with 
  its 
  head 
  ; 
  on 
  seeing 
  this, 
  the 
  enticing 
  band 
  of 
  pro- 
  

   vokers, 
  who 
  had 
  still 
  kept 
  their 
  position 
  in 
  front, 
  again 
  began 
  to 
  entice 
  it 
  to 
  

   make 
  straight 
  forward 
  after 
  them, 
  by 
  going 
  up 
  close 
  to 
  it 
  and 
  then 
  running 
  

   away 
  from 
  it, 
  when, 
  on 
  its 
  attempting 
  to 
  stretch 
  out 
  after 
  them, 
  they 
  suddenly 
  

   faced 
  about 
  in 
  a 
  twinkling, 
  and 
  began 
  to 
  play 
  away 
  upon 
  the 
  monster's 
  head 
  

   with 
  very 
  good 
  effect. 
  Oh 
  ! 
  it 
  was 
  truly 
  wonderful 
  to 
  behold 
  ! 
  

  

  By 
  this 
  time, 
  too, 
  the 
  party 
  of 
  rope-pullers 
  had 
  succeeded 
  in 
  making 
  fast 
  

   all 
  their 
  ropes 
  to 
  the 
  several 
  posts 
  they 
  had 
  fixed 
  in 
  the 
  earth 
  all 
  round 
  

   about 
  for 
  that 
  purpose 
  ; 
  this 
  done, 
  they 
  also 
  seized 
  their 
  weapons 
  and 
  

   rushed 
  forward 
  to 
  assist 
  their 
  comrades 
  in 
  beating 
  the 
  monster's 
  head 
  — 
  

   this 
  being 
  now 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  it 
  which 
  reared 
  and 
  knocked 
  about 
  the 
  most 
  

   violently. 
  Now, 
  the 
  assault 
  on 
  its 
  head 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  alternately 
  by 
  those 
  

   men, 
  combined 
  with 
  the 
  others 
  who 
  began 
  it, 
  and 
  who 
  for 
  that 
  purpose 
  

   divided 
  themselves 
  into 
  two 
  parties, 
  when 
  one 
  party 
  rushed 
  forward 
  and 
  

   delivered 
  their 
  blows, 
  and 
  the 
  hideous 
  head 
  was 
  turned 
  towards 
  them, 
  and 
  

   they 
  fell 
  back 
  a 
  bit, 
  the 
  other 
  band 
  came 
  on 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  side 
  and 
  delivered 
  

   their 
  battery, 
  either 
  party 
  always 
  beating 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  place. 
  After 
  a 
  while 
  

   the 
  monster 
  became 
  less 
  vigorous, 
  although 
  it 
  still 
  raged, 
  for 
  its 
  whole 
  body 
  

   was 
  fast 
  becoming 
  one 
  vast 
  mass 
  of 
  bruises 
  through 
  the 
  incessant 
  and 
  

   hearty 
  beating 
  it 
  was 
  receiving. 
  

  

  Still 
  the 
  fight 
  was 
  prolonged 
  ; 
  prodigies 
  of 
  strength 
  and 
  valour, 
  ability, 
  

   and 
  nimbleness 
  were 
  shown 
  that 
  day 
  by 
  that 
  valiant 
  band 
  of 
  170, 
  whose 
  

   repeated 
  blows 
  were 
  rained 
  upon 
  the 
  monster. 
  At 
  last 
  the 
  monster 
  yielded 
  

   quietly, 
  and 
  there 
  it 
  lay 
  extended 
  at 
  full 
  length 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  stretched 
  

   out 
  Hke 
  an 
  immense 
  white 
  larva* 
  of 
  the 
  rotten 
  white 
  pine 
  wood, 
  quite 
  dead. 
  

  

  By 
  this 
  time 
  it 
  was 
  quite 
  dark 
  ; 
  indeed, 
  night. 
  So 
  they 
  left 
  it 
  until 
  the 
  

   morning. 
  When 
  the 
  sun 
  appeared 
  they 
  all 
  arose 
  to 
  cut 
  up 
  this 
  big 
  fish.f 
  

   There 
  it 
  lay, 
  dead 
  ! 
  Looking 
  at 
  it 
  as 
  it 
  lay 
  extended, 
  it 
  resembled 
  a 
  very 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  word 
  is 
  Imliu. 
  I 
  suppose 
  this 
  large 
  grub 
  has 
  been 
  selected 
  for 
  a 
  comparison 
  

   owing 
  to 
  its 
  dying 
  helplessly 
  extended, 
  and 
  its 
  plump, 
  fat 
  appearance. 
  

  

  t 
  I 
  have 
  translated 
  this 
  word 
  (iUa), 
  wherever 
  it 
  occurs 
  iu 
  the 
  story, 
  by 
  "fish," 
  this 
  

   being 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  principal 
  meanings 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  woixld 
  carry 
  a 
  very 
  different 
  one 
  to 
  a 
  New 
  

   2ealander. 
  Here 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  just 
  synonymous 
  with 
  whale, 
  or 
  large 
  marine 
  animal* 
  

  

  