and again he repeated the stroke; until the shark, rolling
over in his agony, and striking furiously with his tail, shook Ned
from his hold. He instantly dived beneath the water, and came up at
a short distance. The shark was still striking the water furiously,
the sailors on board were throwing down upon him shot, pieces of
iron, and all sorts of missiles, and some of the best archers were
hastily bringing their bows to the side.

The shark caught sight of his opponent, and instantly rushed at
him. Ned again dived, just before the creature reached him; and,
rising under him, inflicted some more stabs with the pike; then he
again swam off, for he was in no slight fear that he might be
struck by his friends on board ship, of whose missiles, indeed, he
was more in dread than of the shark himself.

When he rose, at a short distance from the shark, he was again
prepared for a rush on the part of his enemy; but the great fish
had now had enough of it. He was still striking the water, but his
movements were becoming slower, for he was weakened by the loss of
blood from the stabs he had received from below, and from the
arrows, many of which were now buried to the goose quill in him. In
a minute or two he gradually turned on one side, and floated, with
his white belly in the air.

A shout broke from the crew of the Swanne, and also of the Pacha,
who had been attracted to the side by the cries. When he saw that
the battle was over, and that the enemy had been vanquished without
loss of life, or hurt to any, Ned speedily seized one of the ropes,
and climbed up the side of the ship; where he was, you may be sure,
received with great cheering, and shouts of joy and approval.

"You are a fine lad," Captain John Drake said, "and your name of
Otter has indeed been well bestowed. You have saved the life of
your comrade; and I know that my old friend, Mr. Frank Tressilis,
his father, will feel indebted indeed to you, when he comes to
learn how gallantly you risked your life to preserve that of his
son."

Ned said that he saw no credit in the action, and that he was
mightily glad to have had an opportunity of learning to do that
which the negroes thought nothing of; for that it shamed him to
think that these heathens would venture their lives boldly against
sharks, while he, an English boy, although a good swimmer, and not,
he hoped, wanting in courage, was yet afraid to encounter these
fierce brutes.

This incident acted, as m