erselves?" asked Mark, looking from one to the other in incredulous
astonishment.

"That's what we did," replied Teddy. "That is, we all had a part in
hooking him, and then Lester, here, finished the job with his father's
harpoon."

"Les, ye're a chip of the old block," cried Mark delightedly. "Yer pa
was one of the best harpooners thet ever sailed from these parts an' ye
sure have got his blood in yer ter do a man-sized job like this. A
mighty good job it is too, fer I don't know when these fellers has been
more troublesome than they've been this year, what with sp'ilin' the
nets an' scarin' away the fish."

He walked around the body, giving vent to muttered exclamations of
wonder and satisfaction, and the boys had a chance to study him more
closely than they had yet been able to do.

He was a wizened, dried-up little man, not much more than five feet in
height. His shoulders were bent with the infirmities of age--they judged
him to be over seventy--but his movements were spry, and they had
already seen by the way he handled his boat that he was not lacking in
dexterity. There was a suspicious redness about his nose that was
explained by Lester's hint about his fondness for a certain black
bottle. But his eyes were friendly and free from guile, and the simple
cordiality with which he had welcomed them to his scanty fare showed
that his heart was kindly.

He found it hard to tear himself away from gloating over the body of the
shark--the shark he hated with the hatred of all the members of his
calling--but he recalled himself at last to the duties of hospitality.

"Waal, I swan!" he ejaculated. "Here I am wastin' time on this
cantankerous old pirate when I ought ter be hustlin' around ter get you
boys some grub."

The boys could see a growing perplexity in the old fellow's kindly face
as he tried to think how to feed such a hungry crew as he saw about him.

"Oh, anything will do," Lester hastened to assure him. "Come along up to
the cabin and we'll pitch in and help."

They reached the door, and as Mark's eyes fell upon the crowded table,
and as the fragrant odor of the coffee and the other good things
assailed his nostrils, he gave vent to an exclamation of astonishment
and relief that was lost in the roar of laughter that burst from the
boys.

"Waal, I vum!" he exclaimed as soon as he could catch his breath.

"Some surprise party, eh Mark?" asked Lester.

"Yer could knock me down with a feather," the ol