Here it comes--a great shadow heaving up through the water. The huge
beast flings itself round, sending a flurry of bubbles to the surface.
And there!--a gleam of white; a row of great white teeth on the
underside. Aha! now he knows what it is! The Greenland shark is the
fiercest monster of the northern seas, quite able to make short work of
a few boys or so.
"Steady now, Martin--ready with the gaff."
The brute was wallowing on the surface now, the water boiling around
him. His tail lashed the sea to foam, a big, pointed head showed up,
squirming under the hook. "Now!" cried Peer, and two gaffs struck at
the same moment, the boat heeled over, letting in a rush of water, and
Klaus, dropping his oars, sprang into the bow, with a cry of "Jesus,
save us!"
Next second a heavy body, big as a grown man, was heaved in over the
gunwale, and two boys were all but shot out the other way. And now the
fun began. The boys loosed their hold of the gaffs, and sprang apart to
give the creature room. There it lay raging, the great black beast of
prey, with its sharp threatening snout and wicked red eyes ablaze. The
strong tail lashed out, hurling oars and balers overboard, the long
teeth snapped at the bottom-boards and thwarts. Now and again it would
leap high up in the air, only to fall back again, writhing furiously,
hissing and spitting and frothing at the mouth, its red eyes glaring
from one to another of the terrified captors, as if saying: "Come
on--just a little nearer!"
Meanwhile, Martin Bruvold was in terror that the shark would smash the
boat to pieces.
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