"Was that made out of one tree?" "Yes; all the bottom part. They cut one down, and hollow it out by burning and chopping, and then they raise the sides, and bows, and stern by pegging and lashing on planks. There, you can see the rattan cane they lash the planks on with. Look how the holes are plugged and filled up with gum. It's rough, but good, strong work; and it's wonderful what voyages they make from island to island in a canoe like that." "Look!" said Jack excitedly, "there's one of the sharks rising." "Yes," said the captain coolly. "Give me the little boat-hook, my lad." Lenny smiled grimly as he passed the little pole from where it lay. "Like to have a prod at him?" said the captain. Jack hesitated a moment, and then said, "Yes." The captain nodded approval, but did not hand the boat-hook. "Better let me," he said. "You shall have a turn with a lance, first chance. Look, here he comes. Wonderful how these things can move through the water. You can't see him moving a fin, but he is rising slowly, and when he likes he can dart through like an arrow. One lash with the powerful tail sends the brutes a long way. I believe he is rising now from some management of the air-bladder. Swells himself out and makes himself lighter." Jack made no reply, for he was half fascinated, as he gazed down into the water, by the way in which, after passing under the canoe, the shark gradually and almost imperceptibly rose, with its head toward them, the sharply-rounded snout projecting over and completely hiding the savagely-armed jaws. "Sit fast and don't move," said the captain, poising the little boat-hook; "he is sure to lash out, but it will be behind, and can't touch the boat." Only a few moments passed, but expectation made them seem minutes, during which the shark's head came nearer and nearer, and its shadow cast by the sun was perfectly plain on the sands a few feet below. Then with all his force the captain drove the pole down; the aim was good, for the next instant there was a tremendous swirl in the water, the long, heterocercal tail, through which the creature's spine was continued to the end of the upper lobe, rose above the surface, and was brought down with a tremendous blow which raised a shower, and at the same time Captain Bradleigh's arms were dragged lower and lower, till he loosened his hold, and the pole of the boat-hook disappeared. "I didn't mean that, Mr Jack!" he cried, laughing, as the boat danced up and down, and the lad sat waiting to fire if the need arose. "My word, what a tug! Enough to jerk a man's arms out of the sockets." "Will it attack us?" said Jack. "Not he. Gone to get rid of that thing sticking in his head. No; got rid of it directly. Lucky for him. I dare say if it had stopped there his beloved brothers and sisters would have been at him for a cannibal feast."