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. He drew his knife and took a step forward--a flash in
the air, and the steel went in deep between the back fins, sending up
a spurt of blood. "Look out!" cried the others, but Martin had already
sprung back out of reach of the black tail. And now the dance of death
began anew. The knife was fixed to the grip in the creature's back;
one gaff had buried its hook between the eyes, and another hung on the
flank--the wooden shafts were flung this way and that at every bound,
and the boat's frame shook and groaned under the blows.

"She'll smash the boat and we'll go to the bottom," cried Peer.

And now HIS knife flashed out and sent a stream of blood spouting from
between the shoulders, but the blow cost him his foothold--and in a
moment the two bodies were rolling over and over together in the bottom
of the boat.