“What would have happened,” he said, “if the shark had made a hole in the boat?”
“All depends on the size,” said the mate, laughing. “If it had been very small we might have plugged it with our jackets till we managed to row back, or the skipper, seeing we were in distress, sent another boat after us. If it had been a very large hole we should have had to hold on to the gunwale outside all round, for she wouldn’t have sunk, and then again the captain would have sent a boat to pick us up, if he sent in time.”
“What do you mean by in time?” asked the lad rather huskily.
“Before the sharks had pulled us all under, and there was no one left to pick up.”
Edward turned sallow, and looked at the speaker in dismay.
“Are you saying that to frighten me?” asked Jack.
“No, I don’t make jokes about such things as that, sir,” said the mate quietly. “I ought to have known better than to run such a risk, but I did not imagine that a shark could strike such a tremendous blow.”
“It was my fault,” said Jack quickly. “I wanted to see how far it would drag us before the line broke.”
“And the sharks would have picked us all off,” said the doctor thoughtfully. “Humph! Not a very pleasant look-out. There’s a deal of trouble and disappointment in the world; eh, Jack? Especially in fishing.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” replied the lad, looking at the speaker curiously.