OCEAN FISH AND OCEAN FISHING 69 



the struggle began. With a bound the creature 

 tried to make off, but the line was skilfully played 

 out — the belaying pin regulating its speed — to its 

 utmost extent, and another line was bent on. The 

 strain gradually slackened, and at last ceased. 

 " Haul in your slack ! " cried the excited mate, and 

 like a huge log the beast was pulled closer and 

 closer. It had shot its last and only bolt, and was 

 hauled, hard and fast, under the stern. The bow- 

 line was then arranged round the line, dropped 

 down over the shark's head and body, and hauled 

 taut behind the back fin, and thus the shark was 

 lifted on to the poop. " Stand clear! " we all cried, 

 as the huge thing was pitched down upon the 

 main-deck. When the lines were cut, it revived 

 and rampaged about furiously, seizing a stout 

 wooden capstan-bar in its awful jaws and grinding 

 it to matchwood. An over-inquisitive boy, getting 

 too near it, received a blow from its powerful tail 

 which knocked him flat on the deck, to every- 

 body's amusement but his own. 



The shark's writhings had to be stopped, so the 

 carpenter, armed with his biggest and sharpest 

 axe, after much skirmishing and many futile 

 blows, contrived to sever its backbone and to chop 

 off its head, but half an hour elapsed before the 

 muscular contraction (especially of the heart) ceased. 



