“Well, it was, Tom.”
“Oh, all right, sir. You’ll ’scuse me asking? I only did ’cause the skipper’s very partickler since one of the lads got making away with some of the ship’s stores, and there’s no knowing what mischief the boys might be up to. Then, o’ course, sir, there’s nothing for me to report to the officer of the watch?”
“No: nothing at all, Tom. Haven’t got anything more to throw in, have you, Murray?”
“Not so much as a single pill,” said Murray drily.
“Eh? No, of course not. The water’s so still and clear, Tom,” continued the middy hurriedly, “you can see the fish dash after anything, making the sea flash quite deep down.”
“Oh yes, sir, I’ve seen that. It’s the sharks, sir; there’s often one hanging about right below the keel on the lookout for anything that may be chucked overboard. I believe, sir, as they’ve got sense enough to know that they may have a bit o’ luck and have a chance at an onlucky chap as slips overboard or gets tempted into having a bathe. Wonderful cunning critters, sir, is sharks. I’m always glad when there’s a hook with a bit o’ pork trailed overboard and one’s hauled aboard and cut up to see what he’s got inside.”
“What!” said Roberts excitedly. “Ripped up to see what’s inside?”
“Yes, sir. Don’t you remember that one we caught ’bout a month ago? Oh no, of course not. You was ashore with the skipper’s gig at Seery Leony. That there was a whopper, sir, and he did lay about with his tail, till the cook had it off with a lucky chop of his meat axe. That quieted the beggar a bit, and give him a chance to open Mr Jack Shark up and see what he’d had for dinner lately.”
“And did you find anything, Tom?” asked Roberts.
“Find anything, sir!” replied the man. “I should just think we did! I mean, the lads did, sir; I warn’t going to mess myself up with the bloodthirsty varmint.”