Part 33 (1/2)
”Yo' all keep de boat dere a li'l while,” he said to Colin, and the lad took the oars
Then very deftly the boat unwieldy pole into the water and nicked a sponge fro the surface it was seen to be sli froe, you see, Mr Murren,” the boy said, pointing to the errow and swies”
”That e,” said the prospective buyer, ”but it looks ood yellow sponge,” the boath either to affire, quite diff'nt,” the boatlass he leaned over the edge
Just as he did so, both Colin and his coave a cry
”Sharks!”
The boat shahks,” he said, ”sleep all de time” He splashed his hand in the water and the sharks fled in all directions
”You wouldn't feel that way if you had been in the water,” hazarded the capitalist
”Ah done ride on 'em,” was the reply ”Lots o' boys 'round dese hyeh reefs think it fun to steal up ove' a lot o' nu'sing shahks, an' den dive down an' take a ride Dey wouldn't bite nothin' biggeh than a sahdine”
”But you have got dangerous sharks here?”
”Yes, sah, you bet,” the boatman answered; ”dey was one ol' white shahk was a holy terror; he use' to show up hyeh reg'lah once a monf Folks do say he eat up fo' ht Mr Collier told us that those shark stories were exaggerated,” said Paul, turning to Colin ”I didn't think so, now you see, they weren't”
”Oh, I guess the white shark is the real thing, all right,” Colin answered ”So sea lion alo”
”That ested Paul
”He could have done it all right,” the other boy agreed, ”and he is about the only fish that could”
”There ht be some in the bottom of the sea!”
”I don't think so, Paul Mr Collier told me on the steamer that in the very deepest parts of the ocean there were no fish, only wors like that”
”If you'll listen a minute, sah,” said the boatman, ”yo'll heah somefin'
wo'se than eveh come from de bottom ob de sea”
”Worse?”
”Worse!”
The two excla like one as the two boys strained into attention They listened intently and then across the water ca sound followed by a deep 'boom' and a distant splash
It was several moments, too, before the swell from that splash reached the boat; when it did, the craft rocked noticeably
”What is that?” asked Colin
”Vampa, sah,” answered the boatman, as he took his oars and started to roay in the opposite direction