"Bring the meat here," exclaimed Mr Parkley; and, choosing the largest piece, he half cut it in two, placed the white canister in the opening, and bound the meat round it firmly with a fresh piece of wire. "Am dat mustard, sah?" said 'Pollo, with his eyes wide open. "No, 'Pollo, it's pepper--pepper for the sharks," said Mr Parkley, smiling. "Ho!" said 'Pollo thoughtfully. "I no see de good to gib de shark pepper, sah." "Wait a minute and you will, 'Pollo," said the captain, smiling. "All ready now," said Mr Parkley. "Every one stand back." The crew shrank away, some of the men, though, climbing the rigging to get a good view of the proceedings, and John Studwick being helped into a sure position in the main chains. Then one of the pieces of coarse beef was taken and jerked out half-a-dozen yards from the ship. As it struck the water and began to sink there was a rush and commotion as dark-grey forms and white streaks seemed to rise from below. The water bubbled and foamed, and the lump of beef was seized, torn asunder, and two huge sharks gorged the pieces, and then could be seen swimming backwards and forwards, and round and round, in company with others. "Cut the next up into small bits, 'Pollo," said the captain, who was standing on the bulwarks, holding on by the main shrouds. "Yes, sah, I cut um small and easy for mass' shark 'gestion," said 'Pollo grinning; and he cut the beef into pieces of the size of his fist with the large cook's knife he wore in a sheath at his belt. As he passed them up the captain threw them to the hungry sharks, each piece being snapped up by one or the other, as the monsters, not disdaining such morsels, turned half over and gorged each fragment as it fell. No less than seven could now be counted, all evidently made more savage and eager by the taste of meat, and ready to leap out of the water as they glided one over the other in a space not many yards square, where the water was still impregnated with the odour and juices of the beef. "That will do for them now," cried Mr Parkley, mounting beside the captain with the lump of beef bound round the can in his lingers, holding it in one hand, whilst with the other he took a good grip of one of the rattlins. "Are you ready, Pugh?" "Yes," was the reply. "Is the wire all clear for a run?" "Yes, perfectly. Stand back, man," cried Dutch, as the mulatto stood eagerly watching what was done. "Then I shall throw it into the midst of them, and when I cry _now_, make the connection--not before." "I understand," said Dutch. "One moment," said the captain; "will it endanger the ship?" "No," said Mr Parkley, "because it will be too far away, and too deep. It will rock her, of course." "All right," said Captain Studwick, nodding his head; and, giving the beef a swing to and fro, Mr Parkley launched it through the air, so that it fell with a heavy splash some fifty feet from the schooner, and began to sink rapidly.