Part 36 (2/2)

They hauled away at the line, which suddenly came up very rapidly, when a shark's nose appeared above the water; it was but for aon the deck with the hook bitten off some way above the shank

”Bad luck to the beast! It's the same which ate up poor Toby,” cried Desmond, as he picked himself up

”I only hope he will not run aith any more of our hooks,” said Toets hold of them”

Directly afterwards the line with the shark hook attached was seen to be pulled violently

”Hurrah! the voracious brute has got hold of the hook intended for him,”

cried Tom ”Let's haul him in before he breaks clear”

All hands ran to the line Casey made a bowline round the line, ready to slip over the shark's head as soon as it should appear above water

Could it once be got round its body, its capture would be certain

Peter, in the ot another ready to slip over its tail The mate and some of the Malays ca a steady pull on the line, they soon brought the head of the big shark to the surface It had bolted the hook, and was biting away at the chain secured to the shank

”He'll be through it if we don't make haste!” cried Tom ”Quick, quick, Casey! slip the bowline round hied dexterously to do this, and the rest of the crew, hauling away, at length got its body out of the water It was a huge creature, ten feet long It struggled desperately, beating the water into foaet a rope round its tail That done it was a close prisoner

”Keep all the lines taut, or he'll be wriggling through them and carry off the hook and line!” cried Toot up flush with the bulwarks, when down it ca over poor Billy and two of the native crew Had not Tom and Desmond rushed forward and hauled Billy out of the way, he would have been beaten into aof the creature's tail For several th Casey and Peter, having got hold of an axe apiece, rushed up and each dealt hi back the next instant out of its way Again and again they had to repeat their blows It was soles of the monster ceased

”I shouldn't like to be in the way of that fellow's jaws,” exclaimed Billy, as he exaave a heave, and Billy sprang back, knocking over Peter, who, in his turn, tu to the deck Captain Stubbins, getting up, furiously attacked poor Peter, as if he had tuan to belabour hination

”You've no business to treat the poor fellow in that way,” exclaimed Tom; ”and I'll not allow it!”

”Who are you?” said the skipper ”This is mutiny, and I'll clap you and your companions in irons as soon as look at you”

”We are Queen's officers, and cannot allow a e to be treated as you have this poor fellow,” answered To a furious oath, without another word retired to his cabin, and presently re-appeared with a pistol in his hand, and another sticking out of his pocket

Tom fixed his eye calmly upon him ”We do not fear your threats, Captain Stubbins,” he said ”If you were to kill one of us, you would be guilty ofto a certainty Let me advise you, then, to take those pistols back to your cabin We have no wish to insult you or to dispute your authority Our ainst you, is ready to apologise: I hope that will satisfy you”

”Really, Captain Stubbins, I am very sorry for what has happened,”

exclaimed Billy; ”and I am sure the shark would be if he could speak, for he, after all, was the cause of your e, I should not have tumbled down nor knocked over Peter, and Peter would not have knocked over you I proain, for I'll keep clear of him until we have a few delicately browned slices placed on the table I never ate shark, but I'll undertake that it shall be better than the salt beef we have on board”

By the tier had somewhat cooled down, but he still walked the deck with a pistol in his hand, and Tom and Desmond kept an eye upon him lest he should all of a sudden take it into his head to fire at one of thereatly to their satisfaction, he went below, and replaced the pistols in his berth

Several other fish were caught after this, so that theit open, poor Toby was discovered within, and served as a _bonne bouche_ to the crew, thethe as the calers and crew of the _Fox_ did not fare ill; but as the reeable passage and rejoin their shi+p, they would gladly have gone on short coe The water every day became worse and diminished in quantity, and they had serious apprehensions of what ht be the result