eed George. "I'm afraid he'll bite that string in
half too."

"How did you catch him?" inquired Grant curiously. "Did you put salt on
his tail?"

George gave the speaker a scornful look. "I caught him," he replied,
"because he has a broken wing and can't fly very well. It wasn't any
easy job, though."

"How did he break his wing?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask him."

"Say, you're getting awfully fresh," exclaimed Grant, pretending that he
was angry. "Can't you be serious and tell us how you caught him?"

"Certainly I can, I was walking down around the end of the island when I
spied this fellow on the ground. I went up close to him and he just
flopped up and down and evidently could use only one wing. I saw right
away that it was broken and decided right there and then that he ought
to belong to me. I chased him all around for I don't know how long and
finally I grabbed him by the tail feathers and hung on. It was no easy
thing to do though and I can tell you I nearly gave it up any number of
times. Just as I'd get up close to him and make a grab at him, he'd hop
away and when I did catch him he tried his best to bite me. He's got
plenty of spunk all right," and George looked ruefully at his bleeding
hand.

"Are you going to tame him?" asked John.

"I'm going to do my best."

"Do you think he'll stay around here?"

"He will as long as he's tied, that's sure. I got that string off that
old tarpaulin; you know the one we had in the life-boat when we left the
_Josephine_."

"You ought to clip his wings," said Grant.

"I know it and I intend to, too. I was just waiting for some of you
fellows to come back and help me. Where have you been anyway?"

The whole story of John and the shark was related to George, who was
naturally very much interested in the account.

"I wish I'd been there to see it," he exclaimed ruefully.

"No, you don't either," said Fred. "I saw it all, but I can tell you I
didn't enjoy the experience very much."

"Nor I," agreed Grant. "It was too harrowing for me."

"I don't suppose John had much fun either," said George. "As far as I
can see Sam was the only one who got any pleasure out of it at all."

"How about that, Sam?" demanded Grant.

"Oh, Ah didn't mind it so powerful much," grinned Sam.

"Would you want to do it every day?"

"Ah cain't say as how Ah would. One ob dem sha'ks might get me
sometime."

"Suppose the shark had swallowed John," George remarked. "He's so tall