"Away, life-boat's crew!"
Never, perhaps, was that life-boat launched more speedily. A life-buoy, too, had been thrown overboard.
The Ugly Duckling was too good a swimmer, however, to need such assistance, only he kept close to it, as he did not wish it to be lost.
Now the great danger was the sharks, cruel tigers of the seas, that in these hot latitudes swarm.
But the boat picked the middy up just at the very moment that two monster sharks sprang at the life-buoy and hauled it down.
The Ugly Duckling had stuck to his fife all the time, and now much to the amusement of the life-boat's crew commenced once more to play The Girl I left behind me, and continued to play till the boat got alongside. Then up ran the still dripping Duckling, and on gaining the quarter-deck first saluted it and then saluted Captain Leeward.
"Come to report myself, sir," he said, "for leaving the ship without leave."
"And I ought to punish you, sir," said the captain, trying in vain to suppress a smile; "but I will forgive you if you promise not to stand on the truck again."
"I promise, sir, readily; for, sir, it wouldn't be half good enough to be swallowed by a shark, fife and all."
And down below dived this queer middy to change his dripping garments.