t's the reason,
Jerry?"

The quartermaster chuckled again, tapped down his pipe, and replied
frankly.

"Well, lads, I like both o' you, so I'll tell you. You mind me tellin'
you about that there Pirate Shark, one day?"

They answered his questioning look with a nod.

"Well, when we was in the old _Coralie_, tradin' among the islands and
doin' a bit o' pearl-fishin' on the side, we met up wi' that there
Pirate Shark. He nipped two of our men, he did, and I been chasing him
ever since, lads. I'm goin' to get him, an' I'm goin' to lay him out
where he won't kill no more men, lads. My mates know this and that's why
they call me Shark Smith, 'cause why I've been after that there Pirate
Shark for a long time. Now I'm goin' to get him this cruise."

Mart's eyes flashed suddenly. He thought he understood everything now.

"So that's why you've got that dynamite aboard!" he cried accusingly.
"You lied to Captain Hollinger about that river having gold, just to
get--"

"Tut, tut, lad!" Under Jerry's reproachful glance his words died away.
"No, I told no lies, lad. That river has gold in it all right. I'm goin'
to get the Pirate Shark, and the cap'n gets the gold concession. Ain't
that fair, lads? Ain't that fair, I asks you?"

Mart looked into the reproachful blue eyes an instant, then nodded. He
suddenly felt ashamed of suspecting this gentle, half-crazy old man of
any wrong. It lay plain before him now--the Pirate Shark had killed two
of Jerry's shipmates, years before, and ever since that time the old
quartermaster had been pursuing his enemy, until it had become a fixed
mania with him. After all, he did not blame old Jerry so very much, he
thought.

Bob also was quite satisfied now, as appeared after Jerry had slouched
away below again and the two boys talked over the matter.

"By juniper, Mart," exclaimed Bob, "I guess dad was right. We were
foolish to suspect old Jerry. He's got a bug about killing that Pirate
Shark, see?"

"Sure he has," agreed Mart at once. "He's a little bit touched in the
head, Holly, but that's about all. Did you notice that he never budged
an eyelash when I shot out the _Coralie_ at him?"

"Uh-huh," nodded Bob thoughtfully. "So the _Coralie_ was just a trading
schooner among the islands, eh? That straightens out things pretty well,
Mart. I s'pose she was a pretty tough craft, like most of 'em were in
the old days, and prob'ly she did a little pirating on the side. But
just as dad says, t