xplained one.

"Ain't he?" contemptuously retorted another. "Just you drop overboard
and try him, bo'; why he'd take you--sou'wester, water-boots, and all--
down that main-hatchway of his'n without winking, and then come back and
axe for more. No, no; 'taint that, mates; he's _waiting_ for somebody,
most likely for the poor chap as the skipper picked up this mornin'!"

"Come, stow all that rubbish!" exclaimed the second mate; "how do you
expect we're going to catch the brute if you all stand there palavering
like so many fish-wives? It's enough to frighten him away altogether.
Clap a stopper on your jaw-tackles now, all of you; and give me a chance
to play him a bit."

The speaker thereupon, by sundry dexterous movements of the wrist,
imparted a gentle wriggling motion to the line, which in its turn
conveyed a corresponding motion to the bait, the latter being slowly
drawn through the water at the same time. This was too much for the
shark's equanimity; and he made another dash at the bait, still refusing
to swallow it however. The second mate then tried the virtue of a few
quick jerks upon the bait, as though drawing it away from the creature,
which had the effect of causing him to turn once more on his side, and
make a snap at it, actually taking it into his mouth. Still he would
neither swallow it nor close his jaws upon it, but unresistingly
suffered it to be jerked out of his mouth again.

"We'll have him yet, boys," Ritson exclaimed. "Pay out the line to its
bare end."

This was done, the shark keeping close to the bait, turning it over and
over with his nose, but persistently refusing to take it.

"Now walk away steadily for'ard with your line, and stand by for a
surge," was the next command.

Away went the men, dragging the line after them, and towing the bait
through the water. The shark followed it closely up; and at last, just
as the pork was being dragged out of the water altogether, he made a
determined jump at it, swallowing it and the hook together; and the next
moment the men were brought-up "all standing" by the tremendous strain
on the line as the hook buried its barbed point in the creature's body,
while the water was lashed into foam and splashed clear in over the
barque's taffrail in the fish's frantic efforts to free itself.

"Hurrah!" exclaimed Ritson. "_Now_ you have him, lads. Hold on every
inch of line, or he'll break away from you yet. Bear a hand here, one
of you. Take th