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, 
