and his poor wife. Had Rochford been seized, there would have
been little hope of the child escaping.

The moment the ship was hove-to, having pointed out to the captain the
exact position of those in the water, and being unable to restrain my
eagerness, I sprang forward, and just had time to glide down the falls
into the boat, which, under the charge of the mate, pulled by her crew,
was shoving off.

"Glad you have come, sir," said the mate; "you can nurse the child when
we get him into the boat."

"If we do," I said, and I pointed with a thrill of horror to the fin of
the shark as its wicked eye glanced up at us. The fear seized me that
it might follow the boat and discover Rochford. "I wish I had a pistol
to shoot it!" I exclaimed.

Without answering, the mate seized the after oar and struck with all his
force, the edge of the blade entering the water at the shark's back.

The brute disappeared, and, I trusted, had sunk far down into the depths
of the ocean. Away we pulled as hard as the men could lay their backs
to the oars, the appearance of the shark making them still more eager to
get up to the assistance of the brave young man and the child. To my
joy I saw, as I got closer, that little Paul was resting securely on the
grating, while Rochford was striking out with his feet, and one of his
hands being still at liberty.

"Bear a hand, friends!" he cried out. "Take the child on board first,
and the sooner you help me in I'll be obliged to you. There are some
ugly brutes cruising about here who have a mighty fancy for my legs."

The boat approached the grating. I leaned over to grasp the little boy
as soon as I could reach him, and as I did so I heard the mate tell the
men to keep striking the water with their oars.

We soon had Paul safe. Not until then would Rochford allow the crew to
help him on board. He had a providential escape as it was, for scarcely
were his feet well over the gunwale, when the brute of a shark shoved
its hideous snout above the surface, getting, however, an ugly prick in
the nose for his pains from a boat-hook.

Rochford was well-nigh exhausted; but owing to his courage and presence
of mind, the child appeared very little the worse for its plunge. What
would have been his fate, however, had the monster of a shark we saw
been near at hand at the moment he fell overboard!

We were speedily alongside, and I had the satisfaction of handing the
little boy to his parents.