ed the log. Peterkin threw his arms round the fish's neck;
and, in another instant, we were all floundering in the water!

A shout of laughter burst from us as we rose to the surface like three
drowned rats, and seized hold of the log. We soon recovered our
position, and sat more warily, while Peterkin secured the fish, which had
well-nigh escaped in the midst of our struggles. It was little worth
having, however; but, as Peterkin remarked, it was better than the smouts
he had been catching for the last two or three days; so we laid it on the
log before us, and having re-baited the line, dropt it in again for
another.

Now, while we were thus intent upon our sport, our attention was suddenly
attracted by a ripple on the sea, just a few yards away from us. Peterkin
shouted to us to paddle in that direction, as he thought it was a big
fish, and we might have a chance of catching it. But Jack, instead of
complying, said, in a deep, earnest tone of voice, which I never before
heard him use,--

"Haul up your line, Peterkin; seize your paddle; quick,--it's a shark!"

The horror with which we heard this may well be imagined, for it must be
remembered that our legs were hanging down in the water, and we could not
venture to pull them up without upsetting the log. Peterkin instantly
hauled up the line; and, grasping his paddle, exerted himself to the
utmost, while we also did our best to make for shore. But we were a good
way off, and the log being, as I have before said, very heavy, moved but
slowly through the water. We now saw the shark quite distinctly swimming
round and round us, its sharp fin every now and then protruding above the
water. From its active and unsteady motions, Jack knew it was making up
its mind to attack us, so he urged us vehemently to paddle for our lives,
while he himself set us the example. Suddenly he shouted "Look
out!--there he comes!" and in a second we saw the monstrous fish dive
close under us, and turn half over on his side. But we all made a great
commotion with our paddles, which no doubt frightened it away for that
time, as we saw it immediately after circling round us as before.

"Throw the fish to him," cried Jack, in a quick, suppressed voice; "we'll
make the shore in time yet if we can keep him off for a few minutes."

Peterkin stopped one instant to obey the command, and then plied his
paddle again with all his might. No sooner had the fish fallen on the
water than we ob