"But what--what is it?"

"Don't know what it is. But it's something big."

"Cut the line, and row for your lives!" wailed the doctor's son. Strange
he should be such a coward at sea, a fellow who'd tackle a man twice his
size on dry land.

Once more Peer was jerked almost overboard. He thought of the forest
fire the year before--it would never do to have another such mishap
on his shoulders. Suppose the great monster did come up and capsize
them--they were ever so far from land. What a to do there would be
if they were all drowned, and it came out that it was his fault.
Involuntarily he felt for his knife to cut the line--then thrust it back
again, and went on hauling.

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,