a
stroke that seemed to infuse vitality instead of destroying it.

"Lesson, Jack, my lad," he said, rubbing his ear. "Doesn't do to be
cock-sure about anything. Never mind, third time never fails. Here,
you tell me when, Bartlett."

"Very well," said the mate; and as the shark was drawn close up, lashing
about a good deal, he cried, "Now!"

The doctor thrust, and his stroke was this time so true that the
creature gave a few sharp struggles and turned up dead.

"There, Jack," cried the doctor, "what do you say to that?"

Two more were killed in the course of the next hour, and then one of the
men drew the mate's attention to different objects out toward the
opening in the reef, and in turn the mate pointed them out to the doctor
and Jack.

"I can count at least ten," he said.

"What! sharks?"

"Well, their back fins, and they're all heading up this way. Why, they
must swarm on the outside of the reef. We might go on killing them all
day."

"We didn't see any hardly before," said Jack.

"Seems as if the more we kill, the more they come to the funeral," cried
the doctor.

"Oh, the reason is plain enough," said the mate; "they scent the blood,
which is carried out by the tide, and the more we kill, the more will
come."

"Signal from the yacht, sir," said Lenny, pointing to a little flag
being run up.

"All right. Give way, my lads."

The boat's head was turned, and they were rowed rapidly back, this
ending the sharking.

"Strikes me the captain sights the blacks again," said the mate, and in
a few minutes they were alongside.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

A CIRCUMNAVIGATION.

But no canoes were in sight, for Sir John cried directly--

"Come, I thought you had had long enough for one day. Up with you, we
are anxious to be off. Captain Bradleigh says we're wasting steam."

"Beg pardon, coals," said the captain, smiling; and giving his orders,
the cutter was hoisted up, the screw began to revolve slowly, and with
an easy motion the yacht glided on past the opening in the reef, and
then to follow the course taken by the boats.

Two men were placed forward with leads to keep on sounding, but in a
short time it was found that the deep water could easily be traced by
its darker colour, and the mate ascended to the foremast-head to con the
ship, the navigation proving in such perfectly smooth water free from
all danger, so that a fair rate of speed was kept up.

The trip was glorious, and as the