Bunyip Land | Page 9

throwing himself flat on his back to rest, for he was panting heavily after his exertions.
"Big bunyip debble, Mass Joe," he sputtered; "swim more stronger Jimmy, but no got knife. Tick black fellow knife in um lot o' time. Tick it in him frontums, tick it in ums back ums tight, and make um dibe down and take Jimmy much long ways."
"Why didn't you leave go of the knife, my man?" said the doctor.
"Leave go dat big noo knife?" cried Jimmy sharply. "Let bunyip fis have dat noo knife?"
Jimmy did not finish, but shook his head from side to side, so that first one black ear went into the puddle of water on the deck, then the other, while his lips parted in a tremendously long grin, which seemed to say, "Black fellow knows better than to do such a stupid thing as that."
Then, as if made of india-rubber, Jimmy drew his heels in, gave a spring, and leaped to his feet, running to the side, and then throwing up his arms with delight.
"Dere um is, Mass Joe; turn up him under frontums like fis on hook an' line."
For there was the monster making an effort to keep in its normal position, as it swam slowly round and round, but always rolling back, and rising helplessly every time it tried to dive.
"Jimmy sorry for you," cried the black. "Plenty good to eat like much muttons. Go down boat bring him board."
"Well, I don't know about good meat, blackee, but we may as well have his head to boil out his jaws," said the captain, who was standing looking on, whale lance in hand.
"Go down and put him out of his misery, captain," I said, "and take me too."
"Oh! all right, my lad," he said, laughing. "You may do the job if you like."
"May I?"
"To be sure," he said; and I jumped down into the boat, after he had lowered himself, bear fashion, on to one of the thwarts.
"Here, send out one of the sailors," said the doctor. "I'll go too."
One of the men returned to the deck, looking rather glum, and the doctor took his place, while I sympathised with that sailor and wished that the doctor had not spoken, for I felt sure that he had come down into the boat to take care of me, and it made me feel young and childish.
But I did not show my annoyance, I am glad to say; and a minute later the men gave way, and the boat glided slowly towards where the shark had drifted--I all the while standing up in the bows, lance in hand, full of the desire to make use of it, and feeling a cruel, half savage sensation that it would be exceedingly pleasant to drive that lance right home.
"Now my water Saint George the Second," cried the doctor banteringly; "mind you slay the sea-dragon."
"Mind what you're after, youngster," said the captain. "Give it him close below the gills; a good dig and then draw back sharp."
"All right!" I cried back to the captain, for I was offended by the doctor's chaff; it made me feel small before the men. Then, recalling what I had read that a harpooner would do under such circumstances, I shouted: "Give way, boys!"
I'd have given something to have been back on board the schooner just then, for a roar of laughter greeted my command, and I felt that I was very young, and had made myself rather ridiculous, while to add to my discomfiture the men obeyed my order with such energy that the boat gave a jerk, and I was nearly sent back in a sitting position on the foremost man.
There was another laugh at this, and the doctor said drily:
"No, no, my lad; the lance is for the shark, not for us."
I recovered my balance without a word, and planting my feet firmly wide apart, remained silent and looking very red, while I held my weapon ready.
It was an old rusty affair, with a stiff pole about eight feet long, and was used by the captain for killing those curious creatures which no doubt gave rise to the idea of there being such things as tritons or mermen--I mean the manatees or dugongs that in those days used to swarm in the warmer waters of the Eastern Australian coast.
"Keep it up, my lads; pull!" said the captain, who had an oar over the stern to steer. "We must get back soon."
I thought this was because the shark, which had ceased to swim round and round, was now laboriously making its way with the current at the rate of pretty well two miles an hour; but as the captain spoke I could see that he was scanning the horizon, and I heard the doctor ask if anything was wrong.
"Looks