foam in the ship's wake, lit up with luminous phosphorescence.

They observe other scintillation besides that caused by the _Condor's_
keel. There are broad splatches of it all over the surface of the sea,
with here and there elongated _sillons_, seemingly made by some
creatures in motion, swimming parallel to the ship's course, and keeping
pace with her.

They have not voyaged through thirty degrees of the Pacific Ocean to be
now ignorant of what these are. They know them to be sharks, as also
that some of larger size and brighter luminosity are the tracks of the
_tintorera_--that species so much-dreaded by the pearl-divers of Panama
Bay and the Californian Gulf.

This night both _tiburones_ and _tintoreras_ are more numerous than they
have ever observed them--closer also to the vessel's side; for the
sharks, observantly have seen a boat lowered down, which gives
anticipation of prey within nearer reach of their ravenous jaws.

"_Santissima_!" exclaims Carmen, as one makes a dash at some waif
drifting astern. "What a fearful thing it would be to fall overboard
there--in the midst of those horrid creatures! One wouldn't have the
slightest chance of being saved. Only to think how little space there
is between us and certain death! See that monster just below, with its
great, glaring eyes! It looks as if it wanted to leap up, and lay hold
of us. Ugh! I mustn't keep my eyes on it any longer. It makes me
tremble in a strange way. I do believe, if I continued gazing at it, I
should grow giddy, and drop into its jaws."

She draws back a pace or two, and for some moments remains silent--
pensive. Perhaps she is thinking of a sailor saved from sharks after
falling among them, and more still of the man who saved him. Whether or
no, she soon again speaks, saying:

"_Sobrina_! are you not glad we're so near the end of our voyage?"

"I'm not sorry, _tia_--I fancy no one ever is. I should be more
pleased, however, if it _were_ the end of our voyage, which
unfortunately it isn't. Before we see Spain, we've another equally as
long."

"True--as long in duration, and distance. But otherwise, it may be very
different, and I hope more endurable. Across the Atlantic we'll have
passage in a big steamship, with a grand dining saloon, and state
sleeping-rooms, each in itself as large as the main-cabin of the
_Condor_. Besides, we'll have plenty of company--passengers like
ourselves. Let us hope they may turn out n