Throwing off my hat, that I might go into the dreadful
struggle unimpeded, I shouted out for a long
knife, knowing well that what I must try to do was
to cut him in two, and that he would attempt to
catch my hand in his jaws, and, if he should succeed
in doing that, he would wind himself around me as
quick as a man could wind the lash of a long whip
around a fixed stick, and certainly he was large
enough and strong enough to crush the largest horse.
The cook handed me a sharp knife, more than a foot
long, and, holding the hoard down with my feet, I
thrust the blade through the crack, and, wrenching
with all my might, tried to break the great reptile’s
back-bone, and thus render all that part of the body
behind the fracture helpless. Despite my utmost
efforts, he pulled away the knife, and escaped two or
three feet forward, where there was more room under
the deck. By this time there was the greatest confusion.
The captain, evidently believing that discretion
is the better part of valor, ran below the moment
he was satisfied that I had indeed discovered
the monster, seized a brace of revolvers, and, perching
himself upon the monkey-rail, leaned his back against
the mizzen-rigging, and held one in each hand, ready
to fire into the boat at the slightest alarm. The sailors
all gathered round the boat, and stood perfectly
still, apparently half - stupified, and not knowing
whether it would be safest for them to stand still,
climb up in the rigging, or jump overboard. The
first mate armed himself with a revolver, and
climbed on to the stern of the boat. Indeed, every
moment I expected to hear a report, and find