like a human being, while the parrots could talk
like one, their united talents would enable them to make a very fair
representation of a young savage; or indeed of some of his acquaintance
who considered themselves polished young gentlemen, but often acted no
better than monkeys, and scarcely knew the meaning of what they were
saying more than did the parrots. There was no fear of the parrots
flying away, so they were allowed full liberty, and in calm weather they
used to sit on the rigging, nodding their heads and cleaning their
feathers, and talking away with the greatest glee till Queerface, who
had been watching them from the deck, would take it into his head to
spring up the rigging after them and chase them from shroud to shroud,
or they would keep out of his reach by circling round and round the
vessel, completely laughing at his beard. One day a huge shark was seen
following the vessel.

"I wonder what he wants with us?" exclaimed Paddy, gravely. "If we do
not catch him, perhaps he will catch one of us."

"Such a notion is a mere superstition," observed Murray. "However, we
will try and catch him."

A bonetta had just been caught, and that, it was agreed, would serve as
a good bait for the shark. There was no hook on board large enough to
secure him, so another plan was adopted by Needham's suggestion. The
bonetta was secured to a small line, while with the end of the
peak-halyards a running bowline-knot was formed and placed over it, or
rather round it. The fish was thus in the very centre of the hoop, or
slip-knot it might be called, but a short distance before it, "We shall
have the gentleman, no fear of it," observed Paddy, as he watched the
shark dart forward towards the bait. Murray managed the line with the
bait, Paddy kept the bowline to draw it tight when the shark should get
his head well into it. Silently and cautiously the monster glided on,
his cruel green eye on the bonetta, which Murray gradually withdrew till
it was close up to the counter. Then suddenly the shark, afraid of
losing his prey, made a dart at the fish till the bowline was just
behind his two hind fins, when Paddy, giving a sudden jerk to it,
brought it tight round him. The men, when they saw this, endeavoured to
catch a turn with the rope to secure the monster, but, quick as
lightning, he gave a terrific jerk to the rope and tore it through their
hands. Out flew the rope. Unhappily, Paddy was standing in the middle