ress of the terrified salmon, she could
barely reach the sand-spit on the other shore, though the passage was
not fifty feet across. But she managed to struggle ashore and secure her
end of the net by jamming the pole between some logs of driftwood which
lay upon the sand. Then, with a loud, merry laugh, she bade me run up
to the house and bring her a petticoat and bodice, and leaping into the
water she swam across again and helped Will to properly secure his end
of the net to the bole of a tea tree.

Old as I am now, the memory of that happy, happy night lives with me
yet. By the light of a huge fire of logs we sat and watched the net,
which, as the tide ebbed, curved outward to the sea, though the salmon
without still tried to force a passage into the creek, and the ravening
sharks outside the deep water of the bar rushed through and through
their close-packed ranks and gorged themselves till they rolled about,
with distended bellies, as if they were water-logged baulks of timber.

As we sat by the fire, waiting for the tide to run out, we heard the
dogs barking and knew that Patrick Kenna had returned. Presently we
heard him walking down towards us, and at the same moment Ruth uttered
an exclamation of terror and pointed to the water.

'Oh, look! look! There are a lot of sharks inside, coming down the
creek. Quick! let this end of the net go, or they will be caught in it
and tear it to pieces!'

Her father was alive to the danger. Springing before us, he cut the end
of the line fastened to the tea-tree; but he was too late, for before
the net had tailed out to the current four or five sharks had dashed
into it and entangled themselves in its meshes, and in ten minutes the
net was utterly ruined, for although the sharks could not use their
teeth, the great weight of their gorged bodies and their furious
struggles soon tore the bight of it to shreds.

Kenna watched the destruction of the net in silence. As he stood in the
light of the fire, his dark, rugged face showed no sign of the anger
that must have burned within him at our thoughtless conduct.

'Ye might have waited till I was back, Ruth,' he said quietly; 'there's
as good a net as was ever made gone to ruin. And sure 'twas a mad thing
for ye to do when th' ravening sharks were so plentiful.'

Of course my father and mother were very angry with us, and sent Kenna
five pounds to partly pay for the damage done. He sent it back by Ruth,
and said that he would