shore. See he go away now."

The shark gave a whisk with his tail, and disappeared in an instant.
The young officers breathed more freely when their ill-omened companion
had gone. Almost immediately afterwards a boat belonging to a large
merchantman, lying at the mouth of the harbour, ready for sea, passed
them under all sail. Her crew of eight hands had evidently taken a
parting glass with their friends.

"Dey carry too much canvas wid de grog dey hab aboard," observed the
black. "Better look out for squalls."

He hailed, but received only a taunting jeer in return, and the boat
sped on her course. Not a minute had passed when Jack and Terence heard
the negro mate, who was watching the boat, sing out--

"Dere dey go, Jack shark get dem now--eh?"

Looking in the direction the black's chin was pointing, to their horror
they saw that the boat had capsized, her masts and sails appearing for
an instant as she rapidly went to the bottom, while the people were
writhing and struggling on the surface, shrieking out loudly for help.
Jack and Terence ordered the black to put the boat about instantly, and
go to their rescue. Nearly two minutes passed before they reached the
spot. Five men only were floating. The ensanguined hue of the water
told too plainly what had been the fate of the others.

"Help! help. For God's sake, help!" shrieked out a man near them, in an
agony of fear. At that instant a white object was seen rising, it
seemed, from the bottom. The hapless man threw up his arms, and,
uttering a piercing shriek, disappeared beneath the water.

The other four men could swim, but almost paralysed with fear kept
crying out for help, without making any effort to save themselves,
striking out wildly, round and round, as if they did not see the
approaching boat. First one was hauled on board, then another and
another. Jack had got hold of the fourth, and was dragging him in when
a shark rose from the bottom. The negro boatman's quick eye had espied
the monster. He darted down his boat-hook into the open mouth of the
shark, which, closing its jaws, bit off the iron and a part of the
stock, while, by a violent effort, Jack and Terence jerked the man
inboard, thus saving his legs, and probably his life.

They were now directly over the spot where the boat went down, and so
clear was the water, the ruddy stains having disappeared, that they
could see her as she lay at the bottom. Jack was standing up, when