r yard of the stout cord, and,
the boat's way being checked, it became possible to do something in the
way of playing the seizer of the bait.

"It pulls like a whale," panted the mate, as he endeavoured to control
the line.

"Never mind," said Briscoe; "give him time, and you'll tire him out."

"If he don't tire me out. I say, it's a monster. It must be a big
'gator."

"Never mind what it is," cried Brace excitedly: "catch him."

"It's all very fine to talk," growled the mate, "but he'll have the skin
off my hands if I stick to him, for it seems as if instead of me
catching him he's caught me, and I expect he'll have me in the water
soon."

Briscoe, who was as excited as anyone, burst into a hearty laugh at
this, and, laying down his gun, took up the short-handled gaff-hook
which lay beneath the thwarts.

"That won't be any good for this fellow," cried Lynton; "it's a great
shark, I believe. Take the boathook."

"No, no; it's too blunt," said Brace. "Look here, Lynton: you go on
playing him."

"Play! Do you call this play? My arms are being racked."

"He must be getting exhausted now. He can't keep on at that very much
longer."

"Well, if he doesn't soon give way, I shall have to do so."

"Wait a minute or two and then get the brute to the surface, and I'll
put a charge of big shot through him."

"No, no; he'll break away if you do that," cried the mate. "I want to
get him aboard if I can manage it. I say: the tackle isn't too big and
coarse, is it, Mr Brace?"

"I didn't expect you were going to hook a thing like this at the first
attempt. Give him some more line."

"There's on'y 'bout a fathom more of it left, sir," cried the man who
was casting the line off from the winder.

"Let out half and then get a hold too, my lad," said Lynton.

"Ay, ay, sir," answered the man.

"This is rather too much of a good thing," said the mate. "Here, let
the boat go with him; it'll ease the strain."

"Why, he has been towing us for the last five minutes," said Briscoe.

"Hi! hullo!" cried Brace. "Oh, what luck! Gone!"

The men groaned, for the line, which had up till then been quite tense
and kept on cutting through the water as the prisoner darted here and
there in its wild efforts to escape, suddenly became slack, and, with an
angry ejaculation, Lynton began to haul slowly in.

"I knew it; I knew it," he said: "that tackle wasn't half strong
enough."

"But what bad luck!" cried Brace. "Nev