Tari ran the other oar out, and before Broncho had struggled clumsily to his feet, the two were pulling strongly after the madman.
"Sit down, you two," called Jack calmly. "We'll catch him."
But even as he spoke there rang out a wild shriek, and the next moment the boat was floating over a swirl of troubled water, which gradually grew still again; but the white sheen of the moonlight was mingled with the red of poor Lobu's blood.
"The shark!" gasped Jim in horror, and broke into the wild, sobbing laughter of hysteria, which shook his poor little frame in sudden pitiful jerks.
Jack bent down and tenderly lifted the boy on to the thwart alongside him, and putting his strong arm round him, held the twitching hands in a grip of iron.
Ha! ha! ha! ran the wild hoarse laughter, echoing through the still tropical night, and followed abruptly by long, choking sobs, which burst broken and husky from the dried-up throat.
The big brown eyes grew glassy with a fixed, unconscious stare; the laughter died down into whispered chuckling horrible to hear; foam gathered on the lips, which bared clenched teeth, and the whole small body shook as if with ague.
"Water, quick!" cried the rover.
"Him de las'!" said Tari quietly, as he handed across a pannikin half full of muddy fluid.
The breaker was empty.