The Leaping Sharks 379 
in the bottom of the boat; presently I saw the 
barrel of a rifle, and one of the men began pump- 
ing bullets at the big creature, some of which 
must have taken effect, as it swam off, but still on 
the surface, its dorsal fin looking like a miniature 
lateen sail. 
I determined, if possible, to catch the shark, and 
followed it into the bay of Avalon, and while I 
hurried inshore to get a shark line it dashed into 
a fleet of small boats and endeavored to steal the 
fish. When I again reached my boat, which 
was a two-hundred-pound, flat-bottomed skiff, I 
found that the hammerhead was still swimming 
about, defying the entire floating community. 
The boats were following it, men shooting at it 
with revolvers, or striking at it with oars and 
boat-hooks; but I could not see that it paid any 
attention to these attacks except now to continue 
around the shore and so out of the bay on the 
opposite side. I had secured a long cod line 
with a jewfish hook, which I had baited with a 
ten-pound fish, coiling the line astern. A fresh 
companion rowed me directly out of the bay in 
order, if possible, to intercept the animal, and in 
ten minutes we were in its path. As it came on, 
I swung the bait at it. There was a swirl of 
