The Hilltop Boys on Lost Island | Page 4

to be covered by the shark, the presence of which was not yet known by the younger boy.
He could swim, but he was more or less encumbered by his clothes, wide bottomed trousers and full shirt, and could not make as good progress as Jack in any event.
Then, as he was only a little fellow, and probably not accustomed to swimming very far out of his depth, Jack looked for his strength giving out at any moment.
"Keep up, J.W., you are doing fine!" he shouted, swimming straight on with a long, even stroke, which carried him rapidly toward the struggling boy.
Then some one on the yacht, with more anxiety than good judgment, shouted out so that all could hear him:
"Look out for the shark, look out!"
The instant that the younger boy heard this, he turned his head and cast a frightened look behind him, seeing the sharp fin just beginning to turn over in the water.
"Don't look, Jesse W., don't look, swim straight ahead!" cried Jack, who had come up with the boy.
Then he dove deep down so as to come up under the shark before he could turn and rush at the boy so near him.
Down went Jack, and presently began to rise, seeing the white belly of the man eater just above him.
With a fierce upward thrust of his right arm, which held the knife he had taken from the cook, he plunged the blade into the creature's vitals, drawing it downward and toward him, and turning his hand as he drew, thus making a jagged cut, and fairly laying open the shark's belly.
Young Smith, encouraged by Jack's shout, had darted ahead with his little remaining strength, not again looking back, and knowing too well what was about to happen when Jack dove.
As the shark, mortally wounded, floated away, to be eaten by others of his kind, Jesse W. suddenly became faint and felt himself giving out.
Jack arose in a moment, however, and called out cheerily:
"Hold on a moment, young fellow, and I'll be there. You mustn't give out yet, because they haven't put about to take us aboard."
The younger boy held out till Jack reached him, but seemed about to go under again when Jack said quickly:
"Here, get on my back and you won't have to swim. I'll tow you all right, and you can get rested."
"Did you kill him, Jack?" gasped the younger boy, as he obeyed the older one's instructions.
"Yes, yes, but never mind about that. Don't look behind you, just look straight ahead. I don't know that there's anything there anyhow, but it is always a good plan to look the way you're going to avoid accidents."
"You're a funny fellow, Jack," said the other. "You don't want me to see the sharks and be frightened."
"That's all right, old man, but there are no sharks at present, and if any come they will be too busy taking bites out of the other to bother me for a time. H'm! they are putting about. That's all right."
"You can carry me and swim yourself all right, Jack?" asked Jesse W. "Maybe I can swim a bit myself now."
"Never you mind about that," said Jack. "You just stay on my back till I tell you to get off," and the boy swam with a good, steady stroke toward the approaching yacht, keeping a lookout for sharks, as he knew they would be sure to appear soon, seeming to scent blood for miles.
Without letting the younger boy know that he was on the lookout he kept a strict watch on all sides for more of the rapacious creatures, and at length discovered two making for him in different directions, one of them suddenly appearing between him and the yacht, which was rapidly approaching.
"That fellow will be frightened off or perhaps go under the vessel," he thought, "but the other one is coming on pretty fast. I hope he won't get to the yacht before me."
The people on the yacht saw the shark between them and Jack, and Dick Percival seized a gun from the captain, aimed at the creature and fired, doing no great damage, but causing the voracious monster to rush off to one side, and out of his direct course.
Sharks have other fish to guide them, and without these they are helpless, which was the case with this one, who, in his sudden change of course, got away from his pilots, and had to be hunted up by them before he could get his bearings on the boys in the water.
This created a diversion in Jack's favor, and he swam on sturdily, splashing and kicking, and making a great disturbance to frighten away the second shark, which was coming alarmingly close to him.
The yacht was coming on, however, and now they bore down toward him, slackening speed