ith the recollection that
we should soon be at our destination, and that then there would be
plenty to see and do.

Back on board once more, we spent our time basking in the sunshine,
drinking it in as it were, for it seemed so delightful in spite of its
heat after our dull, cheerless, hazy home in the winter season.

I took no note of how the time went, and this part of the voyage, though
in a slow clumsy boat, seemed far the quickest portion of the journey,
so that I was quite surprised when one morning I came on deck, and found
not only that we were in sight of land, but in sight of port--my landing
port--the end of my sea journey, for we were right across the Gulf of
Mexico, abreast of La Guayra, where the orders were given, and anchor
was dropped in the open roadstead, where, calm as it was, we could still
feel the great swell that came softly sweeping in, making the great
steamer rock and roll first to this side then to that, till, heavily
laden though she was, she careened over so that her copper glistened in
the sun.

I was beginning to feast my eyes upon the beauty of the place, when Tom,
who was right forward, shouted to me to come, and as I glanced at him I
saw that he was waving his hands so excitedly that there must be
something worth seeing, and I ran forward.

"Here's something for you to have a look at, Mas'r Harry," he cried.
"You recollect that big pike the sea-serpent sailor told us about--ugh!
four feet long didn't he say?"

"Yes, Tom; but there are no pike here."

"No pike, Mas'r Harry! Why, here's a couple of 'em cruising about just
under the bows here, and you can see 'em as plain as plain, and they're
twelve or fourteen foot long at least."

"Yes, Tom," I said, as I climbed on to the bulwark, and sheltering my
eyes gazed down into the beautiful water, where the bottom was plainly
visible many feet below. "Yes, Tom," I said, "they're twelve or
fourteen feet long at least, but they are not pike."

"Not pike, Mas'r Harry! What are they then?"

"Sharks, my lad," I replied. "Sharks."

"What, them?" he cried excitedly as he stared down. "So they're sharks
are they? Well, I'm glad I've seen 'em anyhow; but I shouldn't have
known that they were sharks. Mustn't bathe here then," he continued;
"that is if all they say about sharks is true."

"I believe it's true enough, Tom," I said.

"Let's try 'em, Mas'r Harry," said Tom eagerly.

"Try them! What, bathe? Why, Tom, you must be mad