" Keep her away-that's it-run her along here till
we pick out a better place," said Tiller.
"Isn't that a good opening, Mr. Tiller ?" said little Harry, pointing ahead.
"You've a sharp eye, Harry, it's the very thing-pull away there, my lads," and we shot into the surf.
Hitherto all had been careless on board, and jests had been flying plentifully about, but as we dashed into the troubled vortex every man in the boat felt that a crisis was at hand, which, though voluntarily met, was not the less dangerous, and accordingly the deepest silence pervaded all, broken only by the noise of the oars and the quick orders of the lieutenant.
"Larboard," shouted Tiller as he stood up waving his hand, "larboard a little more," and riding on an enormous wave we were whirled into the heart of the surf, with two gigantic billows madly pursuing us on our quarter. For a moment we thought the crisis passed, but all at once the wave seemed to lose its impetus, and gliding from beneath us broached us almost broadside to, while the foremost of our pursuers dashed against us and heeled us nearly over into the abyss. The other cne was scarce a fathom off, we were losing all command of the boat, and could see with horror-struck countenances the wild gulf below, when a voice came from our colleague outside the surf, " Look out, there's a shark on your quarter," and at the same instant Tiller, perceiving the imminency of our danger, thundered, “ Larboard, hard—ease off there,―larboard harder, for God's sake, down !" but the poor coxswain, startled by the ill-timed warning from the other boat, and conscious of the terrible situation in which we were, lost, for a moment, all command of his faculties, and before he could regain them sufficiently to obey the command of his officer, the other wave had struck us full on our broadside, and in another instant, with a wild cry of horror, we found ourselves struggling in the tumultuous surf. When I rose to the surface I struck boldly out, but the sight that met my eyes I shall never, never forget. The boat was already broken in pieces, and the fragments tossing wildly about, while her venturous crew were struggling here and there in the breakers. A poor fellow was just ahead of me buffeting the current which was setting strongly out, and gazing with agonising looks on a huge shark that lay eyeing him basilisk-like, just without the surf. The horror-struck man looked at the distant shore, then at his foe, then struck his arms wildly out, and as he felt the current gradually sweeping him, despite his fearful struggles, nearer to his terrible enemy, he screamed aloud for succor. But it was in vain. The other boat ventured as near as it could, but it would have been madness to have come closer. They called to him to strike aside and get more out of the current,
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but by this time the poor wretch was so alarmed that he scarcely knew what he did, and after a few desperate efforts, he gave a quick, shrill shriek, flung his arms wildly on high, and disappeared suddenly under the water. The next instant the blood-red hue of the surface told the horrid cause. All this had not occupied an instant, and it was with a quaking heart that I turned aside and struck away desperately for the shore. I felt that there was little hope of escape, but I was a good swimmer, and as long as I could command my faculties I knew I had at least some chance of reaching land. To do this I hastily scanned the prospect around me in order to escape the current, and find a place where the surf rolled in less frightfully. Here and there I saw a companion buffeting the wild tumult of waters, and out to sea several were being picked up by the other boat. But the horrid sight I had just witnessed forbade all further escape from that quarter, and I was just turning to plunge headlong through the surf when I heard a faint cry beside me , and saw poor little Harry struggling not two fathoms off. He seemed almost exhausted, and unable to make any headway against the set of the current, appeared striving only to keep his head above the water. "For the love of Heaven," he cried, " Mr. Seyton, here !" but as I dashed toward him the noble boy suddenly cried, " save yourself-I'm getting weak-tell mother and Fanny I died thinking of them." "Courage, courage," I cried, " I'll be there in a minute, my brave lad," and I strained every nerve to reach him, but the current was so powerful that it baffled for a while my most desperate efforts. One while the surf would sweep us far apart, and now dash us almost together. I saw with joy, however, that I gradually neared the gallant little boy. The boat outside meanwhile perceived our situation, and her crew fired with enthusiasm, cheered as they bent to their oars determined at all risk to succor us. "Seyton,-hillo," shouted the lieutenant, losing sight of us for a minute, " come outside, quick-for your life !" I was now almost up to little Harry, who still continued supporting himself in the water with weary strokes and rapidly failing strength, when suddenly our companions in the boat shouted, "The shark ! the shark !" and the huge monster shot along not twenty yards off between us and our only hope the boat. I had not before noticed that in my efforts to reach Broughton, the current had been sweeping us more to sea, and I now saw with horror as I made two or three desperate strokes, that I had got into the same tide which had proved too powerful for the poor wretch a few minutes before. My brain reeled as I looked. The boat was rapidly approaching, but the surf was too wild to suffer it to come to where we were, and between us the frightful monster venturing as close
