Chapter 16. An Awkward Customer

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_ CHAPTER SIXTEEN. AN AWKWARD CUSTOMER

There was no need to go far afield in search of sport, for before Lenny and the mate had rowed them a couple of hundred yards, with Jack and the doctor preparing their lines, they were passing close by a large shoal of fish, another being some distance astern.

These were leaping and playing about on the surface, making the water ripple and sparkle, and every now and then there was a flash as of a bar of silver darting into the sunny air, and falling back with a loud splash.

"This looks promising," said the doctor; "but my word, how hot the boat is. I touched that copper rowlock, and it quite burned my band."

"I could hardly bear mine on the side," said Jack; "but let's begin."

"Yes, we must have a few of these fellows, Jack. I wish we had rods, we could throw so much better."

"I don't think you will need them," said the mate, as he finished attaching a spoon-bait to Jack's line; "the current will carry the bait right through the shoal."

"Yes, but fair play, Jack. I'm not ready, let's start together."

But he was too late. Jack dropped his bait over the side as the doctor spoke, and away it glided, sinking slowly and turning and twinkling in the sunlit water, while when, in obedience to the mate's instructions, Jack checked the line as it ran over the side, and drew it a few feet back, the resemblance to a fish was strangely apparent.

"There you are," cried the doctor, as, after laying a quantity of line in rings beside him, he threw his own bait so cleverly that it fell with a light splash nearly on a level with his companion's.

"Now then; a race for the first fish!" he cried, and they let out a good fifty yards of line, with the result that, while, by Lenny giving a gentle stroke or two with the oars, the boat was kept pretty well in its place, the artificial baits were carried by the current right into the middle of the shoal of fish playing about on the surface.

"Now for it," said the doctor, who looked as excited as the boy. "We must have one directly."

"If they will take the artificial bait," said the mate. "Keep jerking your line, Mr Jack."

"That way?"

"Yes; capital. Fish like to take a bait that seems to be trying to escape from them."

"Then why don't they do it?" said the doctor impatiently.

"Give them time," said the mate, smiling.

"Time and line too, but they don't seem to notice the bait."

"They notice mine," said Jack. "Look here."

He gave a snatch with his line, Edward sitting ready to unhook the fish, and as he drew the bait along toward him, there was a rush made while it passed, but whether in pursuit or to escape from the novel object the occupants of the boat could not make out for some time. At last, though, the mate came to the conclusion that the spoon-bait scared the shoal.

"That shows what a set of ignorant savages they are, Jack," cried the doctor; "never saw a spoon-bait before in their lives, and don't know it's meant to catch them. But never mind, we shall have one directly, and then the others will know better."

"And go right away," said Jack dryly, as he kept on taking advantage of the mate's instructions, and making his bait play about in the bright water in a way which ought to have tempted a run, but without effect.

"Let's try another kind," said the mate, and the line being drawn in, an artificial sand-eel was fastened by the stout twisted wire hook to the swivel on the line.

"I'll wait and see what luck you have, Jack, before I change mine," said the doctor.

"I don't think I shall have any," replied the lad.

"The fish may be stupid and ignorant, but I don't think they will be so stupid as to try and bite at the absurd thing I have on now."

"There's no accounting for what fish will do," said the mate, smiling. "That's right; let it go. I've caught mackerel often enough on the Cornish coast with a hook at the end of a piece of gut run through a broken scrap of clay tobacco-pipe."

"Yes, mackerel are splendid fellows to bite. I've caught them myself with a soft white goose feather tied on to a hook, and thrown as if it were a fly, and--"

"Oh!" cried Jack, with a cry of excitement, "I've got one," and Edward half rose in his excitement from his seat.

For as he let the line run gently through his fingers from where it lay in rings at the bottom of the boat, it was suddenly snatched away and began to run rapidly.

"Stop it! Catch hold quickly," cried the mate; and Jack seized the line again and held on.

"I've got it!" he cried, as he felt thrill after thrill run up his arms in the fish's struggles to escape.

"Haul him in, Jack," said the doctor. "Bravo! first one to you. We shall begin to take some now."

"It won't come," cried Jack, as he held on by the line, with the fish evidently diving down into deep water in its frantic efforts to escape.

"Pull, lad!"

"But it's a monster, and the line cuts my hand. No, no, not you," he cried to his man.

"Let me try," said the mate.

"No, no, I mean to catch it myself," said Jack excitedly. "Ah, don't touch it."

"Only to see what it's like," said the mate, reaching over so as to take hold of the line.

"Not a very large one," he said, "two or three pounds perhaps. There, I think you can haul that in; I'll lift it into the boat with the gaff."

"Oh, don't touch it with that," cried Jack quickly; "it's all snaky, and we shall want to eat the fish."

"I'll give it a good wash in the water," said the mate, smiling.

"No; let me lift it in when I get it to the side," said Jack excitedly. "Yes, it's coming now."

"But if you try to lift it in, the hook will drag out of the fish's jaws," said the mate.

"Yes; let him lift it in, Jack," said the doctor. "Don't let it get away, or it will go and tell all the other fish not to bite."

"Of course," said Jack dryly, "and give a full description of me and my line."

"I shall have to try a fresh bait," said the doctor, beginning to draw in.

"I caught a glimpse of him," said Jack, as he hauled slowly on his line. "How strong a fish is in the water!--Ah!--Oh, I say, Mr Bartlett, how can you say it is not a big one!" cried the lad, as there was a tremendous jerk given at the line, and then a series of sharp tugs, followed by a steady drag which made the line begin to run through the fisher's hands again.

"It cuts! it hurts! I can't hold it!" cried Jack excitedly, and he was about to let go, when Edward caught hold, and then the mate's firm strong hands reached over and took hold of the line beyond his and began to haul.

But at the first drag he made at the line, the fish gave a peculiar wallow, which felt as if it had spun itself round in the water, and began in spite of the mate's efforts to move off, the line gliding through his fingers, till by a sudden action he twisted the slack round his hand and held on.

"Now isn't it a big one?" cried Jack. "Look here, doctor."

"I'm looking. Why, Jack, you've got hold of that snake's grandfather. Mind what you're doing, or you'll have the sea serpent aboard."

"What!" cried the lad, looking aghast.

"Hurrah! I've got one too," cried the doctor. "Humph! only a little one;" and he began to haul in. "Hurrah! something else has taken it," he shouted. "Here, Bartlett, I've got hold of a whale."

"We've got a shark," said the mate. "Look at the boat."

"Let go--let go quick!" cried Jack excitedly; "the fish is running away with us."

"And no mistake," said the doctor. "Mine's helping. Why, Jack, this is something like sport."

"How can you laugh!" cried the boy; "it must be horribly dangerous. Cut the line;" and Edward's knife was hastily opened.

"Oh no," said the mate, "we don't want to lose that, it will break directly close to the hook."

"Think we could get them both alongside?" said the doctor.

"Not with tackle like this," replied the mate; "we should want fine rope and a bit of chain. Mine must be six feet long. Look what a rate we're going at."

"Why, it's like being fast to a whale," cried the doctor.

"Not quite so bad as that," said the mate, laughing. "There he goes," he added, as the line suddenly hung loose in his hands.

"Gone?" cried Jack with a sigh of relief.

"Yes, and it's a good proof of the quality of the lines. They are wonderfully strong to hold out so long. Cut into my hands pretty well."

"Come and give me a hand, Jack," cried the doctor.

The boy moved unwillingly, but he reached over and took hold, half expecting to see a head come out of the water, a pair of menacing jaws open close to his hands, and a pair of fierce eyes give him a questioning look as to what he was doing to a peaceable inhabitant of the deep. But he had hardly felt the throbbing drag at the end of a hundred yards of line when the shark dived, and he and the doctor sank back in the boat, whose steady progress through the water was checked.

"How do you like fishing?" said the doctor merrily.

"But I don't quite understand," said Jack. "Oh, it's easy enough, boy," cried the doctor, smiling; "we threw out little fish or imitations. Bigger ones took them. Then a pair of monsters seized the bigger ones and began to tow the boat; and if we had held on much longer we should have had a pair as big as the yacht take our monsters, and end by swallowing us, boat and all."

"But you don't think they were sea serpents?" said Jack, whose face looked a little sallow.

"Oh no," said the mate. "Sharks without doubt. Look here, the twisted wire is regularly cut through, as if by a pair of shears," he continued, as he held up the end of the line he had drawn in. "How is yours?"

"Haven't got the end yet," said the doctor, who was hauling away. "Here we are," he cried; "mine's broken where the snood joins on. What's to be done now?"

"Put on fresh baits," said Jack sharply; and Edward reached for the basket.

The mate and the doctor exchanged glances. "Very well," said the latter; "but I expect it only means another fight like the last. Eh, Bartlett?"

"I'm afraid so. The sharks are evidently following this great shoal to pick up a helpless one now and then."

"But it's so disappointing," said Jack. "I wanted to see what we had caught, and take them aboard for dinner."

"Yes, it's disappointing," said the doctor. "What do you think they were that we had hold of--there in the shoal?"

"They look to me like some kind of sea perch," said the mate, "something like the bass one gets down in Cornwall."

"Seem like it from their playing about," said the doctor, and drawing the basket toward him, he proceeded to fit on another artificial bait. "I'll try and stir them up again with the spoon," he said, with a droll look at Jack.

"I shall keep to the imitation fish," said Jack, who was deeply interested. "I think we ought to pull them in more quickly, before the sharks have time."

"Couldn't pull in more quickly than I did," said the doctor. "Well, we will have this try, and if we don't succeed we had better give it up. We don't want to be towed right away from the yacht."

"What?" said Jack, looking up sharply. "I say it would be rather awkward to be towed out of sight of the yacht."

Jack gave an anxious glance in the direction of their sea-going home, and then laughed.

"No fear of that," he said; and as soon as Lenny had placed the boat once more quietly at a little distance from the shoal, the boy threw in his bait, seeing the fish rush in all directions; but directly after there was a jerk, and a thrill, and he felt that he was fast to a big fish.

This time he began to haul at once, as quickly as he could, hand over hand, while after a few frantic dashes the fish gave in, and was half-way to the boat, then three-parts of the way, showing its silvery sides, and apparently about two feet long, and all before the doctor had thrown out.

"Get your hook, Mr Bartlett," cried Jack eagerly.

"All ready."

"Washed?"

"Yes, thoroughly."

"Now then, here he is! Oh!"

"Murder! Look out!" shouted Edward, ducking down.

There was a tremendous splash, the water being thrown in their faces as Jack and the mate stood up, the one drawing in the fish, the other ready to make a snatch with the gaff-hook, when a great dark object suddenly rose within six feet of the boat, taking the fish in its jaws, curved over, and dived down, waving a great grey and black tail high in the air, and sending the water flying over them as it disappeared with the line running rapidly out.

"Let me come, Mr Jack," cried the mate; "it's of no use to let it burn or cut your hands. I'll show you."

As he spoke he stooped, took hold of the line a few rings below those which were rapidly gliding over the side, and passed it round the copper rowlock, letting it still run, but at a slower rate, and gradually adding weight, till the boat began to move, when he checked the line entirely by giving it another turn round and holding on.

"Now take hold. You can let him run or make him tow us, whichever you like," he said to Jack, who seized the line, and stood there feeling as if he were driving in a marine chariot drawn by sea monsters that were quite under his control.

"The line cannot bear such a strain long," said the mate. "If we had heavy tackle we might haul the brutes alongside, and kill them with a lance or a shot."

"Let's try next time," cried Jack excitedly. "How it is pulling us along."

"Yes; we are going pretty well," said the doctor dryly. "I _hope_ the brute won't turn round and attack us."

"Not likely, is it?" said Jack with an anxious look. Then quickly, "Well, let it come. You take hold of the boat-hook, Mr Bartlett; you would spear it with that."

"But I say, Jack, don't you feel frightened?" said the doctor.

"Him frightened! likely!" muttered Edward.

"No; I don't think I do," said the lad frankly. "I feel a curious fluttering kind of sensation, as if my heart was beating very fast, but I don't think I'm frightened--I'm sure I'm not," he added gravely, and with a simple sincerity far removed from boastfulness.

"How can you be sure?" said the doctor, giving him a searching look.

"Because if I really were frightened I should cut the line."

"Of course you would," said the doctor. "Stands to reason. But I didn't come out prepared for shark-fishing, so I'm beginning to think we may as well cut or break the line, and go back. We don't want to have far to row on such a day as this."

"Oh, don't do that," cried Jack. "It's so exciting and strange to be dragged along like this."

"What do you say to trying to get the fellow up to the surface, so as to have another look at him?"

"But suppose it attacks us?"

"I don't think there is any fear," said the mate, smiling.

"Try and get it up then," said Jack eagerly. "Come and lend a hand, Edward," said the mate; and they began to take a slow, steady pull on the line, drawing in the strong hemp fathom by fathom, till the number of rings in the bottom of the boat showed that they must be near their captive, but there was no sign of it till another dozen yards were hauled in, and then, as Jack leaned over the bows, he could dimly see deep down a shadowy form going right onward, slightly agitating the water as it passed through.

Then as the pair in the boat hauled, the dark shadow began to show more and more clearly, proving that the buoyancy of the boat was beginning to tell upon it, and draw it nearer to the surface.

"Can't stand this much longer, Jack," said the doctor; "the line must break."

"I wonder it has not parted before now," cried the mate. "It is of wonderfully good quality, and stretches like india-rubber. Hah! he's coming up now. Will you take the boat-hook and give him a prod, doctor, if he is disposed to show fight?"

"Well, yes, unless you would like to, Jack."

"Yes, I should like to," said the lad, with a couple of red spots appearing in his cheeks; and he bent down, picked up the light boat-hook, and stood with one foot upon the thwart, holding the implement as if it were a lance.

"Bravo! Mr Jack," whispered Edward. "See him plainly?" said the mate. "Yes, very clearly now. It is not above six feet down, a great long black creature. Would it be a shark?"

"Oh yes, that's a shark, sure enough," said the mate. "I saw him plainly enough when he took your fish. But you had better watch him, for at any moment the line may give way."

Another pull or two resulted in the great fish being brought so close to the surface that its back fin showed from time to time.

"Aren't we quite near enough?" said the doctor in a low tone to the mate; "it's a big, dangerous-looking creature."

"The line will go at the first struggle it makes," replied the mate, "and there is no danger. A splashing is the worst thing that can happen. Let him do as he likes."

"What's the matter? What are you whispering about?"

"I was just thinking of cutting loose," said the doctor, taking out a knife.

"No, no; let it be," cried Jack. "Look here; we are nearly over it, and you can see how it tows us along by just gently waving its tail. Pull, Mr Bartlett; both of you pull."

_Bang_!

At the fresh tightening of the line, which drew the bows of the boat partly over the fish, there was a tremendous blow delivered on the side, accompanied by a shower of spray, a violent ebullition which rocked them to and fro. Then the line hung slack, and the last fathom was drawn on board by the sailor, while the mate went down on his knees and examined the slight planking of the boat to make sure that it was not stove in.

"Oh!" groaned Edward; "look at that!"

"Any damage, Bartlett?" said the doctor hastily.

"No; but I was a little startled. What enormous power these creatures have in their tails!"

Jack laid down the boat-hook, looking rather serious.

"What would have happened," he said, "if the shark had made a hole in the boat?"

"All depends on the size," said the mate, laughing. "If it had been very small we might have plugged it with our jackets till we managed to row back, or the skipper, seeing we were in distress, sent another boat after us. If it had been a very large hole we should have had to hold on to the gunwale outside all round, for she wouldn't have sunk, and then again the captain would have sent a boat to pick us up, if he sent in time."

"What do you mean by in time?" asked the lad rather huskily.

"Before the sharks had pulled us all under, and there was no one left to pick up."

Edward turned sallow, and looked at the speaker in dismay.

"Are you saying that to frighten me?" asked Jack.

"No, I don't make jokes about such things as that, sir," said the mate quietly. "I ought to have known better than to run such a risk, but I did not imagine that a shark could strike such a tremendous blow."

"It was my fault," said Jack quickly. "I wanted to see how far it would drag us before the line broke."

"And the sharks would have picked us all off," said the doctor thoughtfully. "Humph! Not a very pleasant look-out. There's a deal of trouble and disappointment in the world; eh, Jack? Especially in fishing."

"Yes, I suppose so," replied the lad, looking at the speaker curiously.

"But take it altogether, it's a very grand and glorious place, and full of wonders for those who like to use their eyes. I don't think I should have liked for our voyage to have been brought to a sudden end like that, eh?"

"No; it is too horrible to think of," said the lad with a shudder, and he cast a wistful look around him at the silver-looking sea, and the white yacht standing up apparently at the top of a slope.

"Won't try any more fishing to-day, will you?"

"No. Let's row back now, and come another time with one of the big boats, stronger lines, and a lance."

"Oh, then you haven't had enough of it?" said the doctor.

"Enough? No. I want to catch some of those fish, and have a try if we cannot kill one of these sharks. My father would like the adventure too, I'm sure."

"Well, yes, I'm thinking he would," said the doctor, looking quietly at his young companion as if he were studying him. "What do you say to another try to-morrow? I think I should like to have another turn."

"I hope we shall be at the island to-morrow," replied Jack, as the doctor followed the mate back to the stern sheets. "But the first time there is an opportunity."

He seated himself on the fore thwart as he spoke, and held out his hands.

"Let me have one oar, Lenny," he said. "I want to try and learn to row."

"Rather too hot for you, won't it be, sir?" said the man, smiling.

"It is hot; but I can leave off if I'm tired," replied Jack.

"Here you are then, sir," said the man; "I'm stroke, and you bow, so you take your time from me, and hittings in the back don't count fair."

The next minute they were rowing slowly back toward the yacht, with the doctor looking on very silent and thoughtful, as he furtively watched the young oarsman.

"Boat ahoy!" came at last from the yacht's deck. "What sport? Caught anything?"

Jack answered in the familiar old way in which fishermen do reply to that question.

"_No_!"

"Tired, Jack?" said his father, as the boat grazed the yacht's side.

"A little--not much," replied the lad; and he sprang on deck actively enough, and ready for the dinner which was to follow in due course.

"Brayvo! Mr Jack, sir!" said Edward, who had followed him to his cabin. "I never see anything like the way you're going on now. It's grand, that it is."

"Look here, Ned," cried the boy, flushing; "do you want to offend me?"

"Offend you, sir? Why, of course not. I said it to please you."

"Well, it doesn't please me a bit," cried Jack. "I don't like flattery, so don't do it again."

"Why, that ain't flattery, sir," cried the man indignantly; "that's plain honest truth, sir, and it was because I felt so proud of you."

"Why?" said Jack sharply.

"Because of what you used to be a bit ago, sir. Why, a couple of months back I wouldn't have believed it, for you were just like a great--"

The man's tongue had run away with him, and he now pulled up short.

"Well, like a great what?" said Jack.

The man set his teeth hard and compressed his lips now it was too late.

"Why don't you speak, sir?"

"Beg pardon, Mr Jack, sir," stammered the man.

"I know what you were going to say," cried Jack angrily. "You were going to say that I was like a great girl. Now then--the truth. You were going to say that, were you not?"

"Well, sir?"

"Speak out, or I'll never believe in you again, Ned."

"Don't say that, Mr Jack, sir. I didn't mean to make you cross. I only spoke because I was so proud to see you picking up so, and getting to be such a man."

"A man now!" cried Jack sharply. "You were going to say a great girl a little while ago."

Edward was silent.

"Once more, will you speak out frankly?" cried Jack.

"Yes, sir, that was it, sir," said Edward hastily. "Wish I'd held my tongue, but it would come."

"Like a great girl, eh?"

"Well, sir, I can't help it, sir. You did seem more like a young lady in those times. But you're as different as can be now, sir. You really aren't like the same."

"That will do," said Jack. "You can go now."

"Yes, sir," said the man with alacrity; "but you won't leave me behind another time, sir, for speaking out so free?"

"Wait and see," said Jack shortly; and the man was obliged to content himself with that reply, and left the cabin.

"My word, he is getting a Tartar," said Edward to himself as he went to his own quarters. "Fancy him dropping on to me like that! Well, it's a change; and after all he's better so than being such a molly as he was."

"Like a great girl--like a great girl," muttered Jack as soon as he was alone. "To say that to me! How it shows what people must have thought. It was quite time there was a change. But I wonder what they all think of me now."

A burning sensation made him turn to the glass, to see that his face was growing brown, while in each of his cheeks there was a bright spot. _

Read next: Chapter 17. Jack Sees A Volcano Light Up

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