18 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
moments after the child had been dragged under by 
his powerful enemy, he saw the monster in the act 
of swallowing its victim. He instantly made towards 
it, and struck it with his knife upon the gills. 
By this time it had completely gorged its prey, and 
did not at all seem disposed to enter upon the 
encounter to which it had been so roughly challenged. 
Having received a second stroke in the gills, it rose 
towards the surface, followed by its assailant, who 
kept plunging the knife into various parts of its body. 
The monster turned * several times to seize its ad- 
versary, who, dexterously evading the intended visi- 
tation by diving under it, renewed his attack with 
the knife. The shark’s voracity had been so com- 
pletely appeased by the meal which it had just 
made, that it showed little disposition to continue 
the conflict, until repeated trenchings from the for- 
midable knife of its determined foe roused it to de- 
sperate resistance, when it turned again upon its back, 
though with less activity than these creatures are 
wont to do when craving for food; but the man 
dived rapidly under it, and, watching his opportunity, 
as soon as the shark regained its natural position, 
plunged the keen blade into its belly, and drew the 
weapon downward with all his strength, thus inflict- 
ing that mortal wound which the creature exhibited 
upon the strand. After this it made a tremendous 
splashing for a few moments, then sank apparently 
lifeless to the bottom. Seeing that the strife was at 
The shark always turns upon its back to seize its prey. 
