n at length we once more caught a glimpse of blue
water. By that time we were so utterly fagged that we felt it would be
folly to attempt a long swim under such conditions; we therefore
postponed our attempt until the next day. We saw that the wreck was
still on the reef, apparently in no worse condition than when we had
last viewed her; and, with our experiences of life ashore still fresh in
our memories, we told each other what fools we had been in making no
attempt to get off to her again as soon as the weather had settled after
our first landing.

"Pete Fleming was far and away the keenest of our little party to get
aboard again. He directed us to observe how high she was standing out
of the water, and expressed the opinion that for that reason it might be
possible for us to penetrate to her lazarette, where we should doubtless
find a quantity of tinned stuff that would be infinitely more palatable
than the fruit diet upon which we had so long been subsisting, and of
which we were all now thoroughly tired; and he was particularly eloquent
upon the subject of drink, of which he seemed confident that we should
find a considerable quantity. So keen, indeed, was he, that he was
stripped and in the water four or five minutes before Dirk or myself,
and was already swimming when we two started to wade in. And then a
dreadful thing happened. We were little more than ankle-deep when we
heard him utter an awful shriek, and saw him throw up his hands and
disappear in the midst of a violent swirl of water. In an instant the
terrible truth burst upon us that the poor chap had been seized by
sharks--the existence of which in the lagoon we had never suspected--and
on the instant Dirk and I, moved by the same impulse, turned and fled
back to the beach. The incident effectually cured us of any further
desire to reach the wreck; and we never again ventured to attempt any
swimming until a few days ago.

"Dirk and I camped on the beach again that night, building a fire round
our camping-place as a protection against wild beasts. But some time
during the night I happened to awake, to discover that our fire had
burned perilously low, and that some seven or eight great brutes were
hungrily prowling round us, their eyes gleaming like green lamps, and
themselves apparently waiting only until the fire had burned a little
lower, or their courage had grown sufficiently to enable them to leap in
and seize us. I sprang up, awaking Dir