a moment I
rushed to the edge of the rocks, and, without waiting to throw off my
garments, was on the point to spring into the waves, when I observed
something black rising up through the green object. In another moment
Jack's head rose to the surface, and he gave a wild shout, flinging back
the spray from his locks, as was his wont after a dive. Now we were
almost as much amazed at seeing him reappear, well and strong, as we had
been at first at his non-appearance; for, to the best of our judgment, he
had been nearly ten minutes under water, perhaps longer, and it required
no exertion of our reason to convince us that this was utterly impossible
for mortal man to do and retain his strength and faculties. It was
therefore with a feeling akin to superstitious awe that I held down my
hand and assisted him to clamber up the steep rocks. But no such feeling
affected Peterkin. No sooner did Jack gain the rocks and seat himself on
one, panting for breath, than he threw his arms round his neck, and burst
into a flood of tears. "Oh, Jack, Jack!" said he, "where were you? What
kept you so long?"

After a few moments Peterkin became composed enough to sit still and
listen to Jack's explanation, although he could not restrain himself from
attempting to wink every two minutes at me, in order to express his joy
at Jack's safety. I say he attempted to wink, but I am bound to add that
he did not succeed, for his eyes were so much swollen with weeping, that
his frequent attempts only resulted in a series of violent and altogether
idiotical contortions of the face, that were very far from expressing
what he intended. However, I knew what the poor fellow meant by it, so I
smiled to him in return, and endeavoured to make believe that he was
winking.

"Now, lads," said Jack, when we were composed enough to listen to him,
"yon green object is not a shark; it is a stream of light issuing from a
cave in the rocks. Just after I made my dive, I observed that this light
came from the side of the rock above which we are now sitting; so I
struck out for it, and saw an opening into some place or other that
appeared to be luminous within. For one instant I paused to think
whether I ought to venture. Then I made up my mind, and dashed into it.
For you see, Peterkin, although I take some time to tell this, it
happened in the space of a few seconds, so that I knew I had wind enough
in me to serve to bring me out o' the hole and up to the s