226 ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



captive hard and fast, with its mouth partly out 

 of water, held by the chain alone. 



" Now man the oars, boys, and pull slowly 

 so not to drown him," said the doctor ; and, with 

 the thrashing, floundering creature as a rudder, 

 they slowly pulled toward the breakwater, 

 highly elated. It was such hard work that the 

 dinghy was finally pressed into service, and 

 after half an hour's rowing they reached the 

 bridge that crossed the entrance to the outer 

 moat. Here the boat was left, and, passing the 

 line under the bridge, they took hold to haul the 

 shark under, when the planks, old in the service, 

 cracked, and down they went boys, boards, and 

 scantlings upon the shark. Tom and Harry 

 clung to the planks, but Dick landed squarely 

 on the shark. Such a thrashing around and get- 

 ting out of the way was never seen before ; but 

 probably the shark was the most frightened of 

 the party. The water was shallow, and amid 

 much laughter and shouting they came out all 

 right. 



As the shark had now subsided, the line was 

 passed to the tide-gate and along the wall, while 



