t
touch the boat."

Only a few moments passed, but expectation made them seem minutes,
during which the shark's head came nearer and nearer, and its shadow
cast by the sun was perfectly plain on the sands a few feet below.

Then with all his force the captain drove the pole down; the aim was
good, for the next instant there was a tremendous swirl in the water,
the long, heterocercal tail, through which the creature's spine was
continued to the end of the upper lobe, rose above the surface, and was
brought down with a tremendous blow which raised a shower, and at the
same time Captain Bradleigh's arms were dragged lower and lower, till he
loosened his hold, and the pole of the boat-hook disappeared.

"I didn't mean that, Mr Jack!" he cried, laughing, as the boat danced
up and down, and the lad sat waiting to fire if the need arose. "My
word, what a tug! Enough to jerk a man's arms out of the sockets."

"Will it attack us?" said Jack.

"Not he. Gone to get rid of that thing sticking in his head. No; got
rid of it directly. Lucky for him. I dare say if it had stopped there
his beloved brothers and sisters would have been at him for a cannibal
feast."

For about twenty yards away the handle of the boat-hook suddenly shot
above the surface, and floated, bobbing gently up and down like a huge
quill float, the metal on the end weighting it sufficiently to keep it
nearly upright.

A touch or two with the oars sent the dinghy within reach, and the
boat-hook was recovered, but with its gun-metal head a good deal bent.

"Got a good strong skull," said the captain, holding the end for Jack to
see. "Look under the canoe now."

Jack glanced over the side, and there was not a shark to be seen as the
agitated water grew calm again; but even as he looked, first one and
then another shadowy object reappeared, until five had resumed their
places, waiting for the dead that might float out of the canoe, but in
this case waiting in vain.

"The horrible wretches!" said Jack.

"It's their nature, sir. They are the scavengers of the sea in their
way, just as the crocodiles are of the great rivers.--Row back, Lenny.--
There is your father on the deck."

"And Doctor Instow too," said Jack.

"Here, I say," cried the doctor, "play fair. Don't have all the
adventures to yourselves. Been harpooning fish? Ugh!" he continued.
"Sharks. I should like a turn at them."

Over the breakfast the position was discussed.

"Well,