“Pull away, my lads,” said the mate, smiling.
“If it’s all the same to you, sir,” said Wriggs, “mightn’t us try and ketch that Jack shark for trying to kill our mate?”
“Oh, yes! if you can do so, by all means; but not to-day. Now, gentlemen, look just ahead. What do you say to that?”
“It’s where the mist bank runs into the sea,” cried Lane, excitedly; for there, to their right, the vapour rose up among the cocoa-nut trees which just there seemed to be half dead, while all around the boat the clear water was in a state of ebullition, tiny globules of gas running up from below, and breaking on the surface.
“Runs right away to the reef,” cried Panton.
“Ay, sir, and perhaps far enough beyond,” said the mate. “Pull hard, my lads, and let’s get through.”
“The coral seems to be all dead,” said Drew, “and there are no weeds.”
“Not a sign of fish either,” said Lane, whose face was over the side. “Plenty of great clam shells, but they are gaping open, and the occupants dead—ah!”
He drew his head back sharply, for he had been suddenly seized with a catching of the breath.
“Get a sniff of it, sir?” said Smith, who was now close by.