k boatswain, who angrily bade him get back to his work again,
and tearing the heavy shark hook and its tackle from his hand, flung it
overboard.

The dark, expressive eyes of the native, usually so pleasant and
smiling, flashed resentfully, and he bent his head in sullen silence as
he moved slowly towards the bulwarks.

"Mova quicka, you dam blacka dog!" said the Greek savagely, and raising
his foot he gave the man a heavy kick.

Like lightning Billy Onotoa spun round, his sheath knife flashing in
his right hand, and the lust of blood in his eyes; in an instant the
two were struggling madly together.

Barry, Barradas, and one of the white seamen sprang forward and
endeavoured to separate them, but the rest of the Gilbert Islanders
leapt to the aid of their countryman, and in less than a minute the
deck was filled with a group of struggling men. The Greek, who was a
man of enormous strength, had been quicker than his assailant in the
use of the knife, and had already stabbed the Islander twice in the
shoulder, whilst Billy, who was a much smaller man, had driven his own
weapon through the Greek's right arm, his countrymen meanwhile trying
their best to use their knives upon the boatswain without hurting
either the two mates or the white sailor, who were striking out all
round with their clenched fists, shouting to the natives to desist.

At last, however, the two principals in the combat were separated by
Velo the Samoan, who, seizing the now maddened Billy Onotoa by both
feet, dragged him out of the _melee_, and lifting him in his arms threw
him down the forescuttle, whilst Barry quietened the Greek by a blow on
the jaw, which sent him reeling across the deck with his blood-stained
knife still clutched tightly in his hand.

Barradas, who, like Barry, had kept his temper throughout, had yet
managed to receive a terrible knife slash--intended for the
Greek--across his temple, and, blinded by the flow of blood, staggered
across the deck towards the open gangway, missed his hold of the
stanchions, and pitched headlong overboard.

Velo leapt after him with a cry of alarm. "Quick, Mr. Barry! Stand
by! The shark!"

Barry and several of the men rushed to the side to assist Velo in
rescuing the second mate. They were not a moment too soon, for as the
Samoan, who had grasped Barradas by the hair and was holding his head
out of water, was swimming toward the staging under the main chains,
the shark suddenly appeared