e going away do you think?" he asked in alarm, as their
intended prey vanished in the direction of the bow.

"No fear," responded Lester cheerily. "The pickings round here are too
good for him to think of going away just yet."

"Why don't you wait till he comes around again and then make a throw at
him with the harpoon?" asked Bill. "I should think you might hit him."

"Wouldn't have a chance on earth," was the answer. "He'd dodge it like a
flash of lightning. Then he'd take alarm and make a quick sneak away
from here. After we get him hooked, we can hold him steady and I'll have
a chance to take aim."

With a mighty heave, Lester threw the hook as far as he could over the
stern. The iron chain attached to it hung several inches under the
water, but its buoyancy kept the huge chunk of pork floating on the
surface.

For several minutes the boys waited, their hearts beating so hard that
it almost seemed that they could be heard.

"Do you think he's really cleared out and left us?" asked Teddy, with
disappointment in his tone.

"Don't worry," was Lester's encouraging reply. "He thinks he has too
soft a snap here to dream of giving it up."

Just then Teddy's question was answered by the shark himself. There was
a swish in the water on the other side of the boat, and the boys saw
that ominous fin sweep past.

The shark made straight for the hook with its tempting bait. But he
sniffed at it a moment and then commenced to swim slowly around it in
wide circles.

"He's a little bit suspicious," whispered Lester. "This is so much
bigger than the others that it seems too good to be true."

For several minutes the great fish kept up his circular movement, but
the onlookers noticed that the circles were steadily growing smaller.

"He can't resist it!" exulted Fred. "His judgment tells him he'd better
not, but his appetite urges him on."

"From what I know of sharks, I'll wager that his appetite will win,"
chuckled Lester.

Suddenly the shark seemed to reach a decision. Like a flash he darted
toward the bait and it disappeared in his rapacious maw.

"Hurrah!" yelled Teddy in uncontrollable excitement. "He's hooked at
last!"

CHAPTER XVI

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE

For a second after swallowing the bait the shark remained perfectly
still. Then he darted away, only to be brought up with a round turn as
he reached the end of the rope.

It half stunned him and wholly bewildered him. He did not know what had
h