A MAS OVERBOARD 



water, breakfast was just over and those of the passengers 

 not actually engaged in the contest were all on deck, some 

 smoking and others interested spectators. 



Suddenly there came from somewhere forward that awe- 

 inspiring cry " Man overboard ! " In an instant there was 

 a rush to the side — instinctively the one over which the 

 man had fallen. 



The ship was brought to immediately, but before a 

 boat could be lowered the man gave one long piercing 

 scream, threw up his hands, and disappeared. 



A few moments later the fin of a shark was seen cutting 

 swiftly through the water, but whether this was the beast 

 concerned we could not tell, probably it was not, for there 

 had been hardly time for it to have disposed of its victim, 

 nor were there any blood-stains on the surface of the water. 

 The imfortunatc man was one of the lascars of the 

 ship, who, while furUng an awning, had suddenly lost his 

 balance and fallen overboard, but would, in all probability 

 have been saved, for, like all natives, he could swim like 

 a fish, happier for him had it been otherwise since he would 

 have met with an easier death. 



After this sad incident it was remembered that sliarks 

 had been seen following the ship, a fact which by the 

 supcrstitiously-inclincd might tend to confirm the belief, 

 said to have been held by ancient mariners, that when a 

 shark follows a ship it is a sign that before long there will 

 ''o a death on board 1 



But although this tradition doubtless owes its origin 



!" some coincidental happenings of the kind, it was not 



I (ally verified in this case, for the Indian Ocean is, as 



verybody knows, infested with these monsters, and they 



i to prefer swimming on the surface to under water. 



MFC, in calm weather, frequently to be seen, and easily 



ti hed by the peculiar sliape of the dorsiil fm. That 



"i Jild follow a ship, moreover, is not at all surprising, 



onsidering that a shark is probably the most voracious 

 "T all (iratures inhabiting scii or land and t' "int of 



"tf I ;.iiti edible refuse of all kinds that is con . being 



thrown overboard from ships. 



However, be this all as it may, the incident cast a gloom 

 over the ship, for to those who had actually seen the man 



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