One came,finally,against the head itself and he knew that it was over.He swung the tiller across the shark's head where the jaws were caught in the heaviness of the fish's head which would not tear.He swung it once and twice and again. He heard the tiller break and he lunged at the shark with the splintered butt.He felt it go in and knowing it was sharp he drove it in again.The shark let go and rolled away.That was the last shark of the pack that came.There was nothing more for them to eat.
I must let the first one get a good hold and hit him on the point of the nose or straight across the top of the head,he thought.
He could not talk to the fish anymore because the fish had been ruined too badly.Then something came into his head.
The old man could hardly breathe now and he felt a strange taste in his mouth.It was coppery and sweet and he was afraid of it for a moment.But there was not much of it.
The two sharks closed together and as he saw the one nearest him open his jaws and sink them into the silver side of the fish,he raised the club high and brought it down heavy and slamming onto the top of the shark's broad head.He felt the rubbery solidity as the club came down.But he felt the rigidity of bone too and he struck the shark once more hard across the point of the nose as he slid down from the fish.