ach, it had seized the fish which had bitten at his hook. Billy
gave a pull, expecting to haul up his fish, and very nearly got his
fingers cut through by his line, as the shark, finding something
tickling his throat, darted off with it. Bird, seeing what had
happened, cut the line, and away dashed the shark. The monster had put
the other fish to flight, and it was some time before they returned.
Scarcely had they assembled, and a few more had been caught, than, other
sharks appearing, the lines were immediately drawn up, to save them from
the fate Billy's had met with. As these pirates of the deep appeared,
the smaller fish darted off in all directions.

"Shure, it matters very little to them whether they are caught by one of
us or by those black brutes, excepting for the honour of the thing, and
the pleasure of tasting a crab's leg before they die," observed Desmond.

These interruptions prevented the party taking note of time. They had
got no small number of fish, still they were eager to catch a boat load;
and Tom, who ought to have looked at his watch, forgot to do so.

Thus hour after hour passed by, until they all began to get hungry, when
Desmond proposed going on shore and cooking some of their fish. The
idea was too good a one to meet with dissenting voices; and returning to
the beach, they quickly made up their fire, the embers of which had
remained burning, and soon had three or four fine fish roasting on
sticks round it, under the superintendence of Pat Casey. So busy were
they with this interesting occupation, that no one had observed the
changed appearance of the sky. The fish were, as Pat declared, "just
done to a turn," and Tom and Desmond and Billy were served, the latter
having filled his mouth with a dainty morsel, when they were startled by
the booming sound of a gun. Another followed. It was evidently fired
for their recall.

"We ought to have got back before this," exclaimed Tom, starting up and
looking seawards.

The rest followed him, carrying the cooked fish down to the beach. What
was their dismay to find, on reaching it, that the boat, which had been
hauled up, had been floated by the rapidly rising tide, while a strong
gust of wind had driven her a considerable distance from the shore, from
which she was drifting further and further off.

Not a moment was to be lost. Tom felt that he had been guilty of an act
of indiscretion in remaining so long on shore, and in not having s