THE BEATING OF THE JACKS. 117 



" Just look here ! " cried Tom, growing ex- 

 cited. " There is a regular school, and they're 

 all lying still." 



The boat was now directly over the sharks, 

 which were a dark chocolate-color, and many of 

 them apparently over seven feet long. As yet 

 they had not taken the alarm, but, in his eager- 

 ness to see them, Tom slipped on the gunwale, 

 and in an instant they all dashed away, stirring 

 up clouds of sand, and rushing by wildly in every 

 direction. Tom could resist no longer, and, as 

 a large one crossed the bow, he let fly the grains. 



" Look out ! " he cried, paying out the line. 

 " Keep clear of the rope ! " 



This was more easily said than done, as the 

 rope was rushing out, whirling and turning at a 

 great rate ; now taking a turn around an oar 

 and whisking through Tom's fingers, and, finally, 

 in the confusion, twisting itself around Harry's 

 leg and throwing him off his feet. Then the 

 line became taut, and off darted the boat, towed 

 by the shark. 



" Take the line off before I'm hauled over- 

 board ! " screamed Harry. 



