the wind had nothing to do with its movement; or
the dark, triangular fin of a shark might be seen, as the monster, with
savage eye, moved slowly round the ship, watching for anything hove
overboard.

Woe betide the careless seaman who might lose his balance aloft, and
drop within reach of the creature's jaws. In spite of the heat several
of the ship's boys, rather than remain stewing below or roasting on
deck, were sky-larking in the fore-rigging, chasing each other into the
top or up to the cross-trees and along the yards, now swarming up by a
lift, now sliding down a stay. The most active of the boys, and
generally their leader, though one of the smallest, was Jerry Nott. He
had been over the mast-head several times, keeping well before the rest,
when he made his way out to the end of the starboard fore-yard-arm. At
that moment Mr Scrofton, the boatswain, coming on deck, and reflecting
probably that having been deprived of their tails, they were not as fit
as their ancestral monkeys to amuse themselves as they were doing, and
might come to grief, called the youngsters down. Jerry, startled by the
boatswain's voice, cast his eye on deck, instead of fixing it on the
topping-lift. A small body was seen falling, and a splash was heard.

"Man overboard!" shouted numerous voices.

"Lower the starboard quarter boat!" cried Jack Rogers, who was officer
of the watch, and having given the order he rushed forward and had
sprung into the main-chains, intending to jump overboard and support the
boy till the boat could pick them up; when he saw the youngster throw up
his arms--a piercing shriek rent the air. That bright face a moment
before turned towards him had disappeared, a ruddy circle marking the
spot where it had been. With difficulty he restrained the impulse which
had prompted him to leap into the water, to which had he given way, he
knew that he would probably have shared the fate of the poor boy. The
boat, notwithstanding, was lowered, and the men rowed round and round
the spot hoping to get a blow at their foe with the boat-hook and an axe
with which one of them had armed himself; but neither the shark nor his
hapless victim again appeared. The only thing which came to the surface
was Jerry's straw hat--crushed and blood-stained.

The heat increased--the sun itself seemed to grow larger--the sky became
of a metallic tint, the sea lost its silvery brilliancy, and gradually
assumed the hue of molten lead. T