"Sharks! Where?" he demanded.
"Here, there, undt everyveres," rejoined the German.
And now Nat saw what, but for his search for a baling can, he would have perceived earlier, and that was that the water about the boat was by this time fairly alive with the sea tigers. His heart sank with alarm and despondency. It seemed hard to be spared during the rigors of the storm only to meet this new and deadly danger.
"What are we to do, captain?"
"I don't know alretty," came the frank response. "Der only ding I can dink off is to get into der boat."
"Won't she sink?"
"No der air chambers will buoy her oop, budt at dot vee shan't be mooch bedder off."
"That's true," agreed Nat ruefully, "but in any event we shall be partially protected."
Acting on this idea, they clambered painfully into the boat; their limbs, however, were so stiff and cramped from their long immersion that this was a slow and tedious process.
It was accomplished at length, though, but their weight in the craft sank her even lower in the water so that they were almost waist deep in the sea as they clung to the thwarts.