ed well; some cutting,
others dragging off planks with crowbars, while the rest bore the wood
to the foot of the rocky wall, where it was hauled up and laid to dry in
the hottest parts of the natural fort.

It was on the third day from the beginning of this task, as the pile of
dripping wood they had taken from the wreck began to grow broad and
high, while endless numbers of riven pieces were ranged in the full
sunshine, and sent forth a quivering transparent vapour into the heated
air, that Syd, who was standing ankle-deep in water on a cross-beam
directing the men, and warning them not to make a false step on account
of the sharks, suddenly uttered a cry--

"Look out!" he shouted, and there was a rush for the rock, where as soon
as they were on safely the men began to roar with laughter.

"Beg pardon, sir," said Rogers, touching his hat, as he stood axe in
hand; "but seeing as how he tried to eat me, oughtn't we to try and eat
he?"

The "he" pointed to was a long, lean, hungry-looking shark which had
been cruising about the side of the vessel, whose bulwarks had all been
ripped off and deck torn up, so that she floated now like a huge tub
whose centre was crossed by broad beams. So open was the vessel that it
had needed very little effort on the part of a shark to make a rush,
glide in over the ragged side, and then begin floundering about in the
water, and over and under the beams which had supported the deck.

"I don't know about eating him, Roy," said Syd; "but as I'm captain I
pass sentence of death on the brute." Then to the men--"How can you
tackle the wretch?"

"Oh, we'll soon tackle him, sir," said Rogers; "eh, messmets?"

There was a growl of assent at this, and the men looked at their young
leader full of expectancy.

"Well," he said, "be careful. What do you mean to do?"

"Seems to me, sir," said the man, "as the best thing to do would be to
fish for him."

"No, no," cried Roylance; "fetch a line with a running knot, and see if
you can't get it round him, and have him out."

Rogers gave his leg a slap.

"That's it, sir. Pity you and me can't be swung over him like we was
off the rocks. Easily run it across his nose then."

Roylance could not help a shudder, and he glanced at Syd to see if he
was observed.

"I get dreaming about that thing sometimes," he said. "I wonder whether
this is the one."

"Hardly likely, but it's sure to be a relation," said Syd, laughing, as
they stood watc