The captain stood looking at it for a moment.
"The harpoon, quick," he yelled.
A man sprang for the iron, but the monster rolled slowly over upon his belly, and opened his jaws with spasmodic jerks. A great hole was torn in his side, and his dorsal fin was missing. He gave a few quick slaps with his tail, and then sank slowly down before the harpoon could be thrown.
"He's as dead as salt-fish," said a sailor, "clean busted wide open."
"He's a tiger," said the captain, "an' they never hunt alone. I c'ud see his stripes."
A diver called from the end of the life-line and was hauled up. One after another they came up, the mate last.
"What was the thing yo' dropped overboard?" he asked with a grin. "I seen him sinking an' thought he ware alive."
"It was a tiger," said the captain solemnly, looking askance at the big man.
"That settles it fer me," said one diver, "they always go in pairs."
"Me, too," went the chorus from the rest.