elves into. "We've caught
something big this time!"

"Do you think it's a whale?" said Nell, jumping up also, abandoning in
her hurry her post as mistress of the ceremonies. "It must be awfully
big to make that great rope shake so!"

The old sailor chuckled till his sides shook.

"You seem wonderfully fond of whales, missy!" he exclaimed, turning
round as soon as he had managed to wriggle himself out of the fo'c's'le
and was able to stand erect again. "Don't you remember, you mistook
those grampuses we came across the other day when going to Seaview for
whales?"

"Yes; and I remember, too, Captain, your making fun of me then, the same
as now," replied Nell, smiling as she went on. "I don't mind it though,
for I like being here with you and dad!"

"That's right, my dear," replied the old sailor. "There's nothing like
keeping your temper. But, we must now see about hauling in the trawl;
for the chap who has got into the net is a big fellow, whoever he is,
and, if we don't pull him in pretty sharp, he'll knock our net to
pieces!"

So saying, the Captain brought the end of the tackle to the little
windlass placed amidships; when he and Mr Dugald Strong, who did not
find the task, by the way, as easy as he imagined, began reeling in the
trawl rope fathom by fathom, until, anon, the end of the beam was seen
peering above the water alongside.

The jerking of the tackle, which had continued all the time they were
hauling in, appeared to increase as the trawl was raised to the surface,
the net now that it was within view swaying from side to side; and, when
Captain Dresser and the barrister leant over the gunwale to lift in the
beam with its pocket attached, there was a hoarse barking sound heard
proceeding from the folds of the net, like that of a dog in the
distance.

"Oh!" cried Nellie, in alarm, climbing up on the thwarts and getting as
far away as she could--"what is it?"

"What is it?" echoed Bob in the same breath. "What is it?"

The Captain, however, did not immediately satisfy their curiosity.

"I've got my suspicions," he commenced in a leisurely way as he bent a
little more over the side to get a better hold of the net; but, what he
saw, as the trawl lifted out of the sea, made him quicken his speech,
and he exclaimed in a much louder tone-- "Take care, missy, and look
out, you boys! There's a shark in the trawl-net, and a pretty venomous
beast, too!"

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

THE SPOILS OF T