nodded and turned.

"Well, I got to get down an' see to gettin' that cable flaked." And he
shuffled away, muttering still of "wave after wave--the fish down below
and us up above!"

The two boys stared at each other, their eyes sparkling. Incredible,
wild and fantastic as the yarn sounded, something about the old
quartermaster's manner had impressed them both with the fact that he
believed it firmly.

"Do you s'pose it's true, Holly?" asked Mart.

"Blamed if I know," returned Bob slowly, for he seldom gave any direct
opinion on a subject. "O' course it isn't true, because if he knew about
that place and the gold and the wreck, he'd get after that shark in
short order. It's prob'ly a sea yarn."

"I ain't so sure," returned Mart. "It sounds fishy," and Bob grinned.
"Well, it does, for a fact. But Jerry believes it himself, that's sure.
I tell you what, Holly, if that Pirate Shark's really there, and them
Kanakas get to diving, we're goin' to see something! Some idea, though!
A big shark cruising around the pearling beds, killing men, and finally
taking possession of an old wreck full o' treasure! Why, it reads
like--like a Jules Verne story! Say--you remember that dynamite your dad
said Jerry wanted put aboard?"

Bob looked up, startled, and gave a nod.

"Well, I bet a cookie Jerry's goin' after that Pirate Shark with it!"

"What!" Bob's blue eyes widened and his face lost its careless
expression. "By juniper! Mart, do you s'pose he's after the gold? Let's
ask dad--maybe that's what he meant all along by gold mining--"

"Hold on there," cried Mart, hauling back the eager Holly. "We promised
we wouldn't say anything to your dad or the mate, remember? Hello, here
comes Birch with a message I've got to send, prob'ly."

"I'll ask him," began Bob, then the one-eyed seaman entered and touched
his brow.

"Cap'n's compliments, Mr. Judson," he said in his ever-respectful way,
"and he wants you to send this here message."

"All right, Birch," and Mart took the note. "Just a moment! Did you ever
hear of the Pirate Shark?"

For a moment both boys were frightened by the effect of those words. The
old seaman whirled about, his one black eye blazing weirdly and his face
contorted. Then he collected himself with a little laugh.

"Beg pardon, sir. That there word 'pirate' allus gets me, 'count of a
brush I oncet had with pirates in the Sulu Sea. Why, sir, I've heard
summat o' that there fish; they say he's a monster shark