Page:Cruise of the Dry Dock.djvu/121

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THE CUL DE SAC
113

height he could make out the monsters. Perhaps Hogan could see the great fish shooting along with sinister, exertionless ease toward these clumsy adventurers—a school of trout striking at three awkward beetles.

“Hey, Caradoc! Caradoc!” screamed Madden. “Straight for the schooner!” The American stared around with tense nerves for the little swishes on the surface that betray the attack of a shark.

From something near middle distance, the Englishman raised a hand toward his comrades and motioned them forward.

“Go on! Go on!” he gasped in a tired voice. “I'll catch you!”

Indeed, there was little to be gained from waiting. Caradoc moved toward his friends with a long overhand stroke that gave him the queer appearance of some huge water bug striding along. Madden and Greer propelled themselves slowly toward the schooner, waiting for their friend to close up. They could not keep their eyes off the Englishman. Every moment they expected to see him jerked under, or they expected to see a huge shadowy form strike at