We all three followed in a few seconds, saved by a miracle, and reached the fisherman’s boat. Captain Nemo’s first care was to recall the unfortunate man to life again. I did not think he could succeed. I hoped so, for the poor creature’s immersion was not long; but the blow from the shark’s tail might have been his death-blow. Happily, with the Captain’s and Conseil’s sharp friction, I saw consciousness return by degrees. He opened his eyes. What was his surprise, his terror even, at seeing four great copper heads leaning over him! And, above all, what must he have thought when Captain Nemo, drawing from the pocket of his dress a bag of pearls, placed it in his hand! This munificent charity from the man of the waters to the poor Cingalese was accepted with a trembling hand. His wondering eyes showed that he knew not to what super-human beings he owed both fortune and life. At a sign from the Captain we regained the bank, and, following the road already traversed, came in about half an hour to the anchor which held the canoe of the _Nautilus_ to the earth. Once on board, we each, with the help of the sailors, got rid of the heavy copper helmet. Captain Nemo’s first word was to the Canadian. “Thank you, Master Land,” said he. “It was in revenge, Captain,” replied Ned Land. “I owed you that.” A ghastly smile passed across the Captain’s lips, and that was all. “To the _Nautilus_,” said he. The boat flew over the waves. Some minutes after we met the shark’s dead body floating. By the black marking of the extremity of its fins, I recognised the terrible melanopteron of the Indian Seas, of the species of shark so properly called. It was more than twenty-five feet long; its enormous mouth occupied one-third of its body. It was an adult, as was known by its six rows of teeth placed in an isosceles triangle in the upper jaw. Whilst I was contemplating this inert mass, a dozen of these voracious beasts appeared round the boat; and, without noticing us, threw themselves upon the dead body and fought with one another for the pieces. At half-past eight we were again on board the _Nautilus_. There I reflected on the incidents which had taken place in our excursion to the Manaar Bank. Two conclusions I must inevitably draw from it—one bearing upon the unparalleled courage of Captain Nemo, the other upon his devotion to a human being, a representative of that race from which he fled beneath the sea. Whatever he might say, this strange man had not yet succeeded in entirely crushing his heart. When I made this observation to him, he answered in a slightly moved tone: “That Indian, sir, is an inhabitant of an oppressed country; and I am still, and shall be, to my last breath, one of them!” CHAPTER IV THE RED SEA