peoples."

"You must have been under water a long time," remarked Grant.

"Not so berry long," said Sam. "Dat ol' sha'k didn't waste no time about
what he doin' an' yo' bet Ah didn't neither."

"I guess not," laughed Grant. "When did he hit your shoulder?"

"Right after Ah done stick 'im. Soon's Ah let 'im hab de knife he done
commence thrashin' 'round somethin' terrible. 'Fore Ah could get out ob
his way he done hit me a swipe wid dat ol' tail ob his an' dar yo' see
it." Sam indicated his shoulder, which was still bleeding, though not as
freely as before.

"Well, all I can say is," exclaimed Fred, "that you ought to have a
medal. I swear I don't see how anyone could have the nerve to fight a
shark in the water. Why, I'd be afraid of one lying half dead on the
beach."

"So should I," said Grant. "How big was that fellow anyway, John?"

"Oh, I don't know. He must have been nearly eighteen feet though."

"Come on here," said Fred skeptically, "you can't make us believe a
thing like that. Eighteen feet; why, that's three times as long as you
are."

"I know it is. I realized that when I said it."

"Is he right, Sam?" demanded Fred. "Was the shark as big as that?"

"Ah should say he was jes' about dat size," replied Sam seriously.

"All right," laughed Fred. "I won't argue with you, but that's easily
the biggest fish story I ever heard."

"It was the biggest fish I ever saw," said John grimly. "Whew!" and he
shuddered at the recollection.

"What did you think when you saw him first?" asked Grant curiously.

"I was nearly scared to death," said John so solemnly that everybody
laughed. "I was swimming along easily and just taking my time when I
suddenly had a feeling that something was near me. I looked around and
sure enough, over the top of a little wave, I saw that fin. I tell you
it gave me the creeps and I honestly thought my last day had come. I
knew it was only a question of time before he attacked me and I watched
him pretty closely, I can tell you. All the while I kept trying to get
in nearer to shore, but I was afraid to swim fast for I knew that if I
did I couldn't watch the shark and that he would get me from behind."

"A nice feeling," remarked Fred grimly.

"I should say so. Well, in a minute I saw him coming and I began to kick
and splash with all my might. I didn't think it would be of any use, but
I had to do something. Imagine my surprise when I saw him veer away from
me. I knew he'd be ba