of Harry.

"Nay, that I cannot, lad, for all the boats are still on shore. You
must swim, and for your lives' sake swim hard," answered Cavendish from
the deck of the ship.

He was leaning anxiously over the bulwarks, and the rail was lined with
the faces of the few seamen who were left on board, while two of them
had gone down the accommodation ladder and were waiting at the foot,
ready to haul the lads in as soon as they were near enough.

The men on board now quickly seized whatever missiles they could lay
their hands on, and stood ready to bombard the sharks, in the hope of
driving them off, if they did not seize the lads before they got within
range.

As for Harry and Roger, they struck out with the energy of terror; but
each felt that he was tiring with every stroke, while the knowledge that
at any moment they might feel themselves in the jaws of one of those
sea-tigers seemed to paralyse their limbs. Their flesh crept with the
horror of the thought.

Harry, especially, was showing manifest symptoms of increasing distress;
while Roger, resisting the impulse to swim on and reach safety, kept
valiantly at his side, encouraging him.

"Go on, Roger," at length gasped Harry; "I am done, and cannot reach the
ship. Swim you on and get on board; I will follow if I can."

"Nay, Harry, lad," answered Roger, "either we both get on board, or--or
not; we did not make our compact to break it at the first sign of
danger. Do your utmost, and we shall yet get on board all right."

Even in his extremity Harry could not avoid noticing that Roger
hesitated when he came to "or--or not;" the brave lad could not bring
himself to utter the alternative in words.

Before leaving the shore the boys had stripped down to their pantaloons
and vests, which they had retained as a makeshift bathing-costume. Now,
as luck would have it, Roger invariably wore a belt round his waist, to
which was attached a very fine Venetian dagger, slender of blade, sharp
as a razor, and very strong.

This had been given him by his father as a parting keepsake, and he
looked upon it almost as a kind of talisman; he therefore never allowed
it to leave his person.

Merely by force of habit he had buckled this belt and dagger about him
before starting for the swim, and now, in the moment of his deadly
danger, he suddenly recollected that he had it on him, and an idea came
to him like an inspiration.

"Harry, swim you on and reach the ship," said he