A sympathetic groan of anguish ran through the ship, and I could not help bursting into tears as I jumped down from the gangway, not daring to watch the end of the tragedy; but I thought I heard one agonised scream from the poor fellow, which must have escaped his lips just as the cruel teeth of the shark gripped its unresisting victim, telling that all was over.
After this, for one single moment, there was a still silence as of death around me, the men appearing to hold their very breaths in excess of emotion.
Chapter Nine.
A Water-Spout.
Then, the next instant, a wild frenzied roar of joy echoed fore and aft the ship, making the Josephine quiver almost down to her bottom timbers.
“Hooray!”
I could scarcely believe my ears; but, as I looked up in surprise and wonder I caught sight of Jake’s ebony face all aglow with delight, his eyes rolling about like a vessel in a heavy seaway and his mouth expanded from ear to ear. He was evidently about to indulge in one of his usual huge guffaws when especially highly pleased and unable to contain himself, as he evidently was now.
“Golly, dat splendiferous!” he cried out in ecstasy. “Um beat cock-fightin’ nohow!”