on board. No one lost an
instant in attempting to obey the order. Wasser alone was on the port
side at the moment, and nearest to where the shark had appeared. He was
a good swimmer as he had before shown, and instead of singing out for a
rope with which to climb up on that side, he struck out to pass round
the schooner's stern. It was a fatal resolve. Murray was watching the
ominous fin. It disappeared. "Swim towards the stern! swim towards the
stern! splash about with your legs, Wasser!" he cried out, running aft,
and heaving the poor negro a rope. "Catch hold of this, my lad, catch
hold of this!" Wasser made a spring at the rope, for instinctively he
was aware what was behind him. He had half lifted himself out of the
water, when he uttered a fearful shriek. The monster shark had seized
him by the legs. In vain he struggled; in vain Murray hauled away to
drag him out of the water; the ferocious fish would not let go his hold;
the poor negro shrieked again and again. By that time Terence and
Needham had climbed on board, and, coming to Murray's assistance, they
leaned over the counter, and seizing Wasser by the arms, pulled him up
still farther out of the water, and then White, joining them with a
boat-hook, drove the point into one of the monster's eyes, when he at
length opened his jaws, and retreated to a short distance, still,
however, watching his writhing prey, as if ready to make another attack.
It would be too horrible were I to describe the dreadful condition in
which the shark had left poor Wasser's legs. One foot was entirely
gone, while the other leg was bare to the bone. A mattress was got up
on deck, and Murray and Adair, with all the skill they could command,
set to work to doctor the negro lad, while they sent off to the port for
assistance.

"No use, thank ye, massas," said Wasser, shaking his head. "Doctor no
do good. My time come. Me die happy. Once me thought fetish take me,
now me know where me go--who wait for me."

He pointed solemnly upwards as he spoke. The deathbed of that poor
black lad might well be envied by many a proud white man. Wasser's
predictions proved not unfounded. When the doctor came on board he
pronounced his case utterly hopeless, and as Wasser himself entreated
that he might not be sent on shore, he was allowed to remain where he
was. All night the two midshipmen and Needham sat up watching him, and
doing their best to relieve his pain. At daybreak t