'Jack in the Atolls. 
77 
left coiled up on the outrigger platform. 
Generally, however, Jack is turned from his 
direct downward course by a sudden jerk. 
Then all hands “ tail on ” to the line to get 
him to the surface before he gets his head free 
again for an attempt at another dive. 
Meanwhile, every other canoe has got fast to 
a shark, and now there arises wild clamour and 
much bad language as the lines get foul, and 
canoes bang and thump against each other. 
Perhaps four or five will be in a lump, toge¬ 
ther with one or two sharks lashing the water 
into foam in the centre and turning over and 
over with lightning-like rapidity in the hope of 
parting the line or smashing the outrigger. 
This latter is not a nice thing to happen, and so 
the clubmen anxiously watch for a chance to 
deal each struggling brute a blow on the head. 
Often this is not easily effected, and often too it 
is not needed, for the shark may let his tail 
come within the reach of the steersman’s arm, 
and a slashing blow from a heavy-backed, keen 
knife takes all the fight out of Jack—at one 
end, at any rate ; if it is only a young fish, 
however, the tail is grasped by a native and cut 
off before Jack knows that he has lost it. 
