“Yes, sir, that was it,” said the sailor. “He’d have had that one for certain. You try again, Mr Roberts, sir; and don’t you say a word to put him out, Mr Murray, sir, and you’ll see him drive the grains into one of them biggest ones.”
“All right, Tom. I’ll be dumb as a dumb-bell. Go on, Dick; there are some splendid ones about now.”
Roberts said nothing, but frowned and set his teeth harder than ever as he stood up now in quite a classic attitude, waiting till one of the finest of the fish below him came gliding along beneath his feet, and then reaching well out he darted the trident down with all his might. The line tightened suddenly, for he had struck the fish, and the next moment, before the lad could recover himself from his position, leaning forward as he was, there was a heavy jar at his wrist, the line tightened with quite a snap, and as the fish darted downward the midshipman was jerked from where he stood, and the next moment plunged head first with a heavy splash into the sea, showing his legs for a brief space, and then, in a shadowy way that emulated the fishes’ glide, he went downward into the sunlit depths, leaving his two companions staring aghast at the result of the stroke.
Chapter Nineteen.
“Man Overboard!”
Murray leaned over the side, looking down at the dimly seen figure of his companion, hardly visible in the disturbed water, and full of the expectation of seeing him come up again directly.
“What a ducking!” he thought to himself, and his features were corrugated with mirth. Tom May too was indulging in a hearty grin, which however began to smooth into a look of horror in nowise behind the aspect of Murray’s face, for both now began to realise the fact that the tightened cord at which the harpooned fish was evidently tugging was rapidly drawing the middy farther and farther down, while the sloop was steadily gliding onward and leaving the unfortunate youth behind.
It was a time for action, and the moment Murray could throw off the nightmare-like feeling which held him motionless he sprang upon the rail, shouted loudly “Man overboard!” and then without a moment’s hesitation plunged headlong down, taking a header into the glittering sunlit water below.