aps you'll find him too artful to take a hook, cap'en," answered
the mate. "He seems to me an `old sojer,' from the look of him and the
regularity of his movements. Just see him now looking up, as if
listening to what we were saying!"

"Well, we'll try him anyway," said Captain Miles, telling Moggridge to
bring the shark hook aft, as he wished to attempt the capture of our
unwelcome attendant.

"Aye, aye, sir," replied the boatswain, going forwards and presently
returning with a large steel hook, much about the same size as those
they use in butchers' shops for hanging meat on. A piece of chain was
attached to this by a swivel instead of rope or a line, which, although
good enough for other fish, the saw-like teeth of the monster of the
deep would quickly have bitten through.

"Is the tackle all sound?" asked the captain.

"Aye, aye, sir; sound enough to catch a whale," responded Moggridge,
proceeding to bait the hook with a four-pound piece of salt pork which
completely concealed the barbs; and then, a stout half-inch rope having
been fastened on to the end of the chain, the whole apparatus was thrown
overboard close to where the shark was patrolling the water under our
stern.

He sheered off a bit on hearing the splash; but afterwards soon swam up
to where the baited hook was towing in our wake, smelling at it
cautiously as if to see whether it was advisable for him to bolt the
savoury morsel or not. Then, with a disdainful swish of his screw-like
tail, he turned round in the water and resumed his station further
astern, as if he saw through our attempt to entrap him, and despised it.

"I thought so," said Mr Marline. "He's too old a bird to be caught by
chaff. You won't hook him in a blue moon!"

"Don't you be too cocksure of that," retorted Captain Miles. "Sharks, I
have noticed, frequently resemble cats in the way they will nibble at a
bait, and pretend they don't care about it, when all the while they are
dying to gobble it down--just in the same manner as you'll observe
pussy, if you offer her a nice bit of meat, will sniff and turn away her
head as if rejecting the morsel with disdain, affecting to make you
believe it beneath her notice, only the next moment to abstract it slily
from your hand, glad enough to get it! You'll see presently, Mr
Marline, that our friend there will go at the pork again, I'll bet
anything."

"All right, cap'en," replied Mr Marline. "I only hope, I'm sure, that
your