The Midnight Shark Pack Attack

A pack of sharks attacks in the dark. Santiago fights with the club until it is taken, then with the tiller until it breaks, and finally with the splintered butt. He stabs one shark in the head, and it rolls away. The sharks have eaten almost everything except the head, the backbone, and the tail. The old man is beaten, but he has fought to the end. He steers homeward, numb and exhausted.