h sailors will engage more eagerly than in the attempt
to capture a shark; they regard the creature as their worst and most
relentless enemy, and never willingly let slip an opportunity to catch
and destroy one, frequently venting their hatred upon the unfortunate
fish, when caught, in the utmost refinement of cruelty. Accordingly, no
sooner was Ned's hail heard than, dropping incontinently whatever work
they happened to be engaged on, the whole watch, Ritson included,
hurried down on deck and aft to the taffrail, to take a share in the
sport Ritson, by virtue of his superior rank, assumed the lead at once,
and as a matter of course. Taking the hook with its swivel and chain
attached, and a piece of fat pork, some three or four pounds in weight,
from the now lively and wide-awake Ned, he called out for "a bit of
stoutish line," busying himself meanwhile in burying the hook cunningly
in the bait, in order that the shark might not see it--for it is a
well-established fact that these monsters, unless very hungry, are acute
enough to refuse a bait if the hook is not well hidden. The line, in
the shape of the gaff-topsail halliard-fall, hastily unrove for the
occasion, was soon forthcoming, and the hook, being at last baited to
the second mate's satisfaction, bent on to the chain.

"Now stand clear," commanded Ritson, as he prepared to pitch the bait
overboard, "stand clear all of yer; and when I gives the word to `haul
in,' walk away for'ard with the line and bring his head out of water."

A long steady pendulum-like swing or two of the bait followed, and then
away it went out over the stern and into the water with a splash.
Leicester who was leaning over the taffrail and watching the proceedings
with the greatest interest, saw the great fish turn like a flash and
rush to the spot where the bait had fallen, turning himself over on his
side as he did so.

"Hurrah! He bites; he's got it," shouted one of the men eagerly. But
he spoke rather too soon; Jack Shark was not to be caught quite so
easily. Instead of opening his great jaws and swallowing the bait, hook
and all, at a gulp, as was expected, he stopped dead in his rush, and
began to poke the bait about suspiciously with the point of his
shovel-shaped nose; and finally, with a contemptuous whisk of his tail,
left it, and resumed his former position under the ship's quarter.

Great was the disappointment of the younger hands at this failure.

"He ain't hungry," e