“Theer’s no danger, sir,” said Rogers. “I don’t know so much about that,” said Syd; “suppose you slipped and went down into the hold?”
“Well, in that case, sir,” said Rogers, grimly, “Master Jack there would have the best of it, and none of his mates to help. Wonder whether a shark like that shovel-nosed beggar could eat a whole man at a meal?”
“Ugh!” ejaculated Syd, with a shudder. “It’s too risky. Better give it up.” But the men looked chapfallen.
“But the brute will put a complete stop to our work,” said Roylance, who was watching the restless movements of the self-imprisoned shark. “Don’t stop them, Belton,” he continued, in a low tone, “I want to see that monster killed.”
“For revenge?”
“If you like to call it so. It or one of its fellows made me pass such moments of agony as I shall never forget.”
“I shall never forget my horror either,” said Syd, as he too looked viciously at the savage creature, which just then rose out of the water and glided over one of the beams. “There, go on, Rogers, only take great care.”
“I just will that, sir,” said the man, as his messmates cheered; and taking the noose in his hand he stepped along the plank leading from the rocks to the vessel. “When I say ‘now, lads,’ mind you let him feel you directly; and haul him out.”
“Ay, ay!” cried the men; and then every eye was fixed upon the active young fellow, whose white feet seemed to cling to the wet planking upon which he stood, and from which he stepped cautiously out upon one of the beams that curved over from side to side.
Hardly was he well out, and stooping down peering into the water, than Syd uttered a warning cry, and the man bounded back as the shark, attracted by the sight of his white legs, came up from behind, and glided exactly over the spot where he had been standing.