be badly wounded though, to
sheer off like that."

"Look at that," shouted Billy Widgeon excitedly, as all of a sudden the
shark was seen to leap clear out of the water, and fall back with a
tremendous splash, not head first, so as to dive down, but on its flank,
sending the water flying, while directly after the sea in that direction
became tremendously agitated, sending waves toward them sufficiently big
to make the boat rise and fall.

"He's in his flurry, Mr Mark, sir," said Billy Widgeon gleefully. "I
can't abear sharks."

"Pull hard, Gregory," said the captain; "the sooner we are away from
here the better."

He spoke in a low voice, and exchanged meaning glances with the mate,
who at once bent to his oar.

"No, no: don't go," cried Mark. "I should like to see him when he's
dead."

"I'm afraid there will be no shark to see," said the captain grimly, as
the gig surged through the water.

"Why, there's his back fin, and there it is again and again," cried
Mark. "How he keeps curving out of the water and dashing about! I say,
father, row back and put him out of his misery."

"I daresay he is out of it by this time, my boy," said the captain,
rowing hard.

"But there he is again, swimming round and beating the water."

"Why, Mark, can't you see that the water there is alive with sharks, and
that they are devouring their wounded brother--fighting for the choice
morsels, I dare say. This is a warning never to bathe except in some
pool."

"What! do you think? Oh, I see now! How horrible!" said Mark.

"Horrible, eh?" grunted Gregory. "I wish they'd make a day of it, and
eat one another all up. We could get on very well without sharks."

Mark said no more about putting their enemy out of his misery, but sat
watching till, at the end of a few minutes, the surface of the lagoon
grew calm; but until they had turned a low spit of sand, the black fins
of at least a dozen sharks could be seen cruising round and round, and
to and fro, in search of something more to satisfy their ravenous
hunger.

"We are getting some experience of the dangers we shall have to
encounter," said the captain, as the scene of their late conflict with
the shark passed completely out of their sight, and they rowed on
steadily. "That's your first shark, Mark, eh?"

"Yes," said Mark, thoughtfully, "I shall know what a shark is now."

"I think we'll give them a turn now, Gregory," said the captain. "No,
no, one at a time,"