CHAPTER XIX
SHARK
"It's horrible," cried Fred almost beside himself with anguish. "Oh, whydid he swim out so far?"
The splashing continued. The two boys on the shore stood and watchedalmost spellbound at the sight. Their faces were white and their heartswere like great lumps in their throats. Neither one had any thoughtother than that John had been attacked by the shark and was even nowbeing torn to pieces by the great man-eater. They shut their eyes tohide the horror of the thing.
Finally Grant looked again. The splashing had ceased and the water wascalm around the spot where John had been. Suddenly he spied a headappearing far out from the shore.
"There he is," he cried suddenly.
"Who? John?" demanded Fred. "Where?"
"Out there in the same place. He hasn't gotten him yet."
"Where's the shark?"
"I don't see it."
"There it is," exclaimed Fred. "Between John and the shore."
Sure enough, the great black fin appeared once more sailing serenelyabout a few yards distant from John, but between him and land.
"How can he get in?" cried Fred. "The shark is in the way."
"I don't know," said Grant. "Certainly he can't swim right at theshark."
"He never will get in," moaned Fred. "He'll surely be killed."
"He's all right so far."
"I know. He missed him before but he won't again."
"Maybe John can fight him off. You can't tell."
"There he goes again. He's closing in."
The shark did seem to be moving towards John once more. Around andaround in circles he went and even from the shore Grant and Fred couldsee their companion's head turn so as always to keep his eyes fixed onhis enemy.
"We must go to him," cried Fred. "We must do something."
"What can we do? We're helpless."
"Can't we swim out?"
"Suppose we did. We couldn't do anything when we got there."
Suddenly the splashing was resumed. John and the shark both disappearedfrom sight as the water was thrown up in all directions around them.
"What's happened, Grant? I'm afraid to look."
"I think he drove him off."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. There he is. He scared him away again."
"He can't keep that up forever, though," moaned Fred. "He must begetting pretty nearly exhausted by now."
"Look!" cried Grant suddenly. "Here comes Sam."
Running towards them at top speed and throwing off his clothes as he rancame Sam. In his teeth was the long knife he had made so laboriously andspent so many hours to sharpen.
"What's he going to do?" cried Fred in wonderment. "Where are you going,Sam?" he called as the negro came up to the spot where the two boysstood.
"Ah'll get 'im," muttered Sam, and without waiting for another thing heplunged headlong into the water. A moment later he reappeared, the knifestill in his mouth, and with powerful strokes struck out for John andthe hungry giant that threatened him.
"What's he going to do, Grant?" exclaimed Fred.
"I don't know. Watch him."
"Do you think he can kill the shark with that knife?"
"He's evidently going to try."
"He'll be too late."
John was perhaps a hundred and fifty yards from shore now. Slowly he wasnearing land and safety, but could he reach it? The great shark stillcircled around and around the unfortunate boy, evidently waiting forsome moment when John should be off his guard to give him an opportunityto strike. John was determined that this should not happen, however, andhe watched the shark just as closely as he himself was watched. First heswam on one side and then on the other, then on his back and then on hisstomach. Not for a second did he relax his watchfulness.
"Look at Sam go!" exclaimed Grant. "He's a marvelous swimmer."
"He's that all right, but I wish he would get there."
"There goes the shark," cried Grant, and as he spoke the big fin couldbe seen to shoot with lightning-like rapidity in close to the spot whereJohn was. A great splashing immediately followed and then the finappeared once more some ten or twelve yards distant.
"Whew! That was close," gasped Grant, his lips ashen with terror.
"He's getting desperate," said Fred. "He knows that unless he can getJohn before he comes much closer to shore his chance is gone."
"Hurry, Sam!" shouted Grant with all his strength. "Keep it up, John!"he called. "You'll be all right in a minute!"
"He will not," said Fred in a low voice. "He'll be gone in a minute."
"No he won't," cried Grant. "Sam is almost there."
"Forty yards is a lot."
"Hurry, Sam! Hurry!" begged Grant. "You must hurry!"
"Look!" cried Fred. "The shark must have seen him. He's going away."
"Not 'away,'" Grant corrected. "He's just backing up a little."
Sure enough the shark moved out a little toward the ocean and the finstood almost still as if it might be debating what should be done next.Evidently the arrival of a second foe had puzzled him. Sharks are notknown especially for their bravery. Rather they are scavengers that feedon the ocean's refuse, and they must be very hungry indeed to attack aman unless they have him at a disadvantage. Grant and Fred were aware ofthis fact, but they feared that this particular shark was very hungryand that he did have John at a disadvantage.
"Maybe he'll go away now that there are two of them," said Fredhopefully.
"Don't be too sure," warned Grant.
"He'll attack soon if he's going to, though."
"Yes, he'll have to. The water gets pretty shallow in a little closer."
"Look at Sam," exclaimed Fred. "He's sending John on ahead of him."
"John must be pretty tired now."
"I should think so."
"He'll be all right in a minute, though. A few more yards and he'll beout of danger."
"There goes the shark again," cried Fred suddenly. "This is about hislast chance and it won't be so easy to drive him off this time."
Around and around the two swimmers the shark circled. He moved withamazing rapidity, and it seemed as if the two hard-pressed and tiredswimmers must become dizzy if they followed his every move.
"He'll fly around them like that," said Grant, "until he sees a goodchance and then you'll see him strike like lightning."
"They mustn't give him a chance," muttered Fred doggedly.
"They won't if they can help it, you may be sure of that."
"There he goes!" cried Fred. "No, not yet," he corrected himself.
"He'll strike, all right. Just watch him."
"If Sam can only use that knife."
"Maybe he won't attack Sam."
"They're awfully close together now," said Fred. "If he goes for John,Sam can stick him and if he goes for Sam, why he has the knife rightthere."
"The old knife will never go through that shark's hide," exclaimedGrant. "It's almost as hard as sheet steel."
"Here's the test anyway," cried Fred, and as he spoke the giant fincould be seen darting suddenly towards the two swimmers. Just before itreached them it disappeared beneath the surface of the water.
"He has turned bottom side up to bite," muttered Grant, fullyunderstanding just what was taking place.
Sam and John had noted the approach of their enemy and both realizedthat the crisis of the whole affair was now at hand. If they could eludehim this once, the chances were that they could reach shallow waterwhere the shark would not dare to follow them. They both began to kickviolently and splash as much as possible with their hands; they shoutedand yelled; they did everything which they thought might possibly aidthem in scaring the great ugly fish away.
Grant and Fred on the shore held their breath while all this was takingplace and their hearts almost stopped beating. With feverish anxietythey awaited the result of the battle taking place before their veryeyes.
"There's John," cried Grant suddenly. "Where's Sam?"
&
nbsp; "I don't see him. I don't see the shark either."
"The splashing has stopped. Sam must have been killed."
"Oh, no," exclaimed Fred. "Don't say that. It can't be."
"Where is he then?"
"Look!" cried Fred.
The water some five or ten yards behind John was suddenly churned intofroth. Red, bloody froth it was and evidently some gigantic struggle wasgoing on. All at once, just on the outside of the miniature maelstrom,appeared a small round, black object.
"There's Sam!" shouted Grant.
Sure enough. Sam was still alive and without wasting a moment he struckout boldly for the shore. John was ahead of him, but he was soonoverhauled by the powerful negro and side by side the two swimmersplowed through the sea. Behind them the waters were still churned by thestruggles of the great shark, but they were rapidly becoming weaker.
"Sam killed the shark," exclaimed Fred, almost overcome by thesuddenness and the unexpectedness of the event.
"It looks so," agreed Grant. "I didn't think it was possible."
"Nor I. Imagine the nerve he had, and that old knife certainly did dothe work after all."
"Well, John owes his life to Sam all right. He surely would have beenkilled if he had been left out there alone."
"Not a doubt of it. I don't see how Sam managed it."
"We'll find out in a minute. John must be about exhausted too; Sam ishelping him in."
"Want any help, you two?" called Fred to the two swimmers who wererapidly approaching the shore.
"No, thanks," said John in reply. "Sam will get us in."
Grant and Fred leaned far out over the water and extended their hands tothe two swimmers who were only a few feet distant now. A moment laterand they had drawn John up on the shore, where he lay panting, hisstrength practically all used up. When they turned to assist Sam,however, they found their negro friend clambering up without the leastbit of trouble.
"What's the matter with your shoulder, Sam?" exclaimed Grant in alarm.
The skin seemed to be all torn away and the blood was flowing freelyfrom Sam's right shoulder. Just what had happened, it was impossible tosay.