who looked excited. "This boat is
so small and slight, I thought that perhaps they might attack us."

"Oh no; they will not do that. Scull round her bows, Lenny; I want to
see where the cutter struck her."

The man obeyed, and there about twenty feet from the prow, seen
perfectly through the clear water, was a large gap where the cutter had
acted up to her name, and gone right through the side, completely
disabling the barbarian craft.

"Ah, shows the strength of our boats," said the captain. "Fine canoe,
too. Perhaps they'll come after her, and tow her away to mend her.
Takes them too long to make such a canoe as that to give her up easily.
Humph! a good sixty feet long. That must have been a fine tree before
it was cut down."

"Was that made out of one tree?"

"Yes; all the bottom part. They cut one down, and hollow it out by
burning and chopping, and then they raise the sides, and bows, and stern
by pegging and lashing on planks. There, you can see the rattan cane
they lash the planks on with. Look how the holes are plugged and filled
up with gum. It's rough, but good, strong work; and it's wonderful what
voyages they make from island to island in a canoe like that."

"Look!" said Jack excitedly, "there's one of the sharks rising."

"Yes," said the captain coolly. "Give me the little boat-hook, my lad."

Lenny smiled grimly as he passed the little pole from where it lay.

"Like to have a prod at him?" said the captain.

Jack hesitated a moment, and then said, "Yes."

The captain nodded approval, but did not hand the boat-hook.

"Better let me," he said. "You shall have a turn with a lance, first
chance. Look, here he comes. Wonderful how these things can move
through the water. You can't see him moving a fin, but he is rising
slowly, and when he likes he can dart through like an arrow. One lash
with the powerful tail sends the brutes a long way. I believe he is
rising now from some management of the air-bladder. Swells himself out
and makes himself lighter."

Jack made no reply, for he was half fascinated, as he gazed down into
the water, by the way in which, after passing under the canoe, the shark
gradually and almost imperceptibly rose, with its head toward them, the
sharply-rounded snout projecting over and completely hiding the
savagely-armed jaws.

"Sit fast and don't move," said the captain, poising the little
boat-hook; "he is sure to lash out, but it will be behind, and can'