AMONG SHARKS AND ALLIGATORS 199 
chance of reaching the shore, the five returned to the boat, for 
the three who swam strongly would not leave their comrades 
in difficulty. 
Next a party of three swam off for the purpose of bring- 
ing help. These were Jack and Mick and James. They had 
two oars and a plank to support them, but it was a long, 
hard struggle with the tide ebbing strongly, and sharks 
swarming all round. 
Again and again they were compelled to rest on the oars 
and plank, for their strength failed them. But each time 
they stopped they prayed. Their experience is given here 
in Mick’s interesting pidgin English: 
“Seven times we pray,” said Mick, “and we sing, ‘I have 
a Saviour who’s pleading above.’ ”’ 
“You were not too weak to pray?” 
“Oh! sea he come, come, catch us, try to stop our mouth, 
but we pray.” 
“Once Jack’s heart he fail.” (Jack had only recently ac- 
cepted Christianity. ) 
“Heart belong Jack, he shake about, he say, ‘Mick me 
pray along akola [heathen] now.’ ” 
“Me say: No, you can’t do that, you can’t go two way. 
God He look out you now. Jack, you remember who made 
him everything—grass and tree and sea. Only one God; 
He do everything.” 
They prayed again, and Jack said: “My word, my heart, 
he begin no good.” 
“He all right now little bit?” asked Mick. 
“Yes, he all right now,” replied Jack. 
When asked if they were followed by sharks, they re- 
plied: 
“Oh! shark he come all right, but God He keep us.” 
When they saw the sharks about them, Mick said to Jack: 
“God He shut him mouth belong shark so he can’t 
touch us.” 
