I caught the rope, gave it a quick and strong pull to hook him, and found at once that I had my hands full. I had taken many of them, and I knew on the instant, from the violent strain, that he was one of more than common size. He had not as yet become much alarmed, and he was simply swimming off with determination, but without any special excitement. We were in a large sail-boat, but he was swinging us in the tideway as though it was only a floating board. All this time I was gathering in the line, until I brought him up where I could see him; I judged him to be eight feet long at least.
When he came thus near the surface, he took fright and turned down. Of course I could not hold him, and he dragged the rope through my hands foot after foot, until he was nearly a hundred feet away. I made out to glance over my shoulder in search of my crew. I found that the party were mustered forward holding tight to the mast, and looking decidedly solemn. I could not, however, attend to them, but proceeded to gather in my shark again.
By the time that, after a heavy struggle, I had once more brought him to close quarters, he had become somewhat tired out, and dragging his head to the surface I dealt him a blow with a club. And it was as I took up the club that the parson volunteered his advice, as already mentioned. The blow was not sufficient to stun the shark, and off like a runaway horse he went again. But when I brought him up the third time it was manifest that he was becoming exhausted, and that I could hold him. And hereupon the pastor took heart of grace and came to the rescue.
"Hold him tight, now. Let me get at him; I want to pay him off for past scores. The sins of the fathers descend upon the children, you know; and I believe it was his grandfather that used to frighten me so when I played truant from school and ran off to Fulton Market to bathe. I will settle him," and, taking the club, he rapped the poor shark across the brain until life was extinct, and I could, with the help of my crew, haul him into the boat. He was a little less than nine feet long, and his name is Eugomphodus littoralis. He has long, slender teeth, almost like horseshoe nails, each tooth having a sharp point on each side near the base. He is the only shark of our coast with such teeth. The species is found from Cape Cod to Hatteras.
ALLITERATION.[3]
Although this game requires close attention, it is much less difficult than it appears, for very young players succeed well in it after a little practice. The players are arranged in a circle, and to each a letter of the alphabet is assigned in order, from which he must produce a sentence every word of which begins with his letter.
At the expiration of ten minutes each one must read or say his line, in the order in which the players are seated. As it is harder to compose these sentences mentally than to write them, the manner of playing must be decided beforehand. The former way is better, even if the lines are shorter or less finished, as memory as well as invention is thus strengthened. A few examples are given below, which children can easily follow to the end of the alphabet.
"An aristocratic artist angrily argued against an ancient art article, anticipating all antagonistic announcements, and answering all æsthetic attacks."
"Busy bees brightly buzz by brilliant bowers, borrowing beneficent burdens by burrowing brown bodies below beautiful bean blossoms."