olding many things
worthy of observation.

Sometimes the bank was so shallow that their heads came above the water;
at others they sank several yards below.

Suddenly the captain stopped, and by a movement of his hand ordered the
party to conceal themselves behind a projecting rock.

He pointed to the liquid mass in front of them, and all followed with
their eyes the direction indicated.

About five yards off a shadow came between the party and the rays of the
sun.

Mont thought of the "sea butcher," as the divers of Ceylon call the
shark, and trembled a little at the idea.

But he deceived himself, for this time he had nothing to fear from the
monster of the ocean.

A living man, an Indian, as black as ink, shot through the water,
doubtless an early fisher for pearls.

The bottom of his canoe could be seen up above, a few feet beyond his
head.

Arriving at the bottom, which was about five yards deep, he fell on his
knees, let go the stone he had held between his feet to sink with more
rapidity, and began to rake up the oysters from the bank with both
hands.

A cord was around his waist, the other end being attached to his boat,
and this he pulled at when he wanted to rise.

To his loins was attached a little bag, into which he put the oysters as
fast as he could gather them.

The Indian did not see anyone, and if he had he would have been so
alarmed at the strange spectacle of curious-looking beings walking at
ease at the bottom of the sea that he would quickly have retired.

Several times he remounted and plunged again, not getting more than a
dozen oysters at each dip.

It appeared as if he risked his life for very little return, as in a
score of oysters he might not find a pearl worth having.

All at once, while on his knees, he made a gesture of terror, and seized
his rope to ascend to the surface.

A gigantic mass appeared close to the wretched diver.

It was a huge shark, which advanced diagonally toward him, his terrible
jaws open wide.

The Indian threw himself on one side and avoided the bite of the shark,
but not the action of his tail.

Mont thought he heard the jaws snap, but he had not much time to think,
as he saw the diver thrown down by a blow of the animal's tail and
stretched upon the ground.

All this was done in a few seconds, and then the shark returned, lying
upon his back, in order the better to bite and divide the Indian in
halves.

Mont was about to rush forward to