第8章 The Sharks Attack[第1页/共15页]

The shark closed fast astern and when he hit the fish the old man saw his mouth open and his strange eyes and the clicking chop of the teeth as he drove forward in the meat just above the tail.The shark's head was out of water and his back was coming out and the old man could hear the noise of skin and flesh ripping on the big fish when he rammed the harpoon down onto the shark's head at a spot where the line between his eyes intersected with the line that ran straight back from his nose.There were no such lines.There was only the heavy sharp blue head and the big eyes and the clicking, thrusting all-swallowing jaws.But that was the location of the brain and the old man hit it.He hit it with his blood mushed hands driving a good harpoon with all his strength.He hit it without hope but with resolution and complete malignancy .

He did not like to look at the fish anymore since he had been mutilated.When the fish had been hit it was as though he himself were hit.

Now they have beaten me,he thought.I am too old to club sharks to death.But I will try it as long as I have the oars and the short club and the tiller.

“But man is not made for defeat,”he said.“A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”I am sorry that I killed the fish though,he thought.Now the bad time is coming and I do not even have the harpoon.The dentuso is cruel and able and strong and intelligent.But I was more intelligent than he was. Perhaps not,he thought.Perhaps I was only better armed.