by Ross Kay
CHAPTER XX
TALKING IT OVER
"Dat," said Sam, referring to Grant's question concerning his shoulder,"am wheah Ah come in too clost contack wif dat sha'k."
"Did he bite you?" exclaimed Fred.
"No, indeed. He jes' nachully done rub up again' me, dat's all."
"But just rubbing against you wouldn't tear you up like that," protestedFred.
"Am dat so? Ah don't reckon yo' all evah seen a sha'k at front han' efyo' say dat. Have yo' evah felt a sha'k's skin?"
"No, I haven't. Is it rough?"
"Have you evah felt san' paper?"
"Lots of times. Is it as rough as that?"
"Lawdy," exclaimed Sam. "In compahson wif a sha'k's skin Ah tell yo' datsan' paper am lak velvet."
"I should say it was rough, then," laughed Fred. "Doesn't that hurt?"
"It must," Grant broke in, "and it ought to be attended to at once."
"Dat's nothin'," said Sam carelessly. "She'll be all right soon."
"I know," Grant protested, "but just look at it bleed."
"All de bettah. When she bleed lak dat dey's no chance ob poison."
"But it ought to be stopped now. Come up by the spring where there'scold water and let me bathe it for you."
"Go ahead, Sam," urged John, looking up and speaking for the first timesince he had been brought ashore.
"That's right," agreed Fred. "I'll stay here with John."
"No one need stay with me," said John. "I'm getting my wind back now andas soon as I get a little strength I'll be as good as ever."
"What made you swim so far out anyway?" demanded Fred.
"I don't know. I guess I was crazy."
"You were worse than that," exclaimed Fred. "You were a fool."
"Don't tell me that; I know it myself now. We always do when it's toolate."
"Well, I can tell you one thing," said Grant warmly. "You wouldn't behere now if it hadn't been for Sam."
"Right you are," John agreed. "I certainly owe my life to you, Sam."
"Ah guess mebbe Ah will bafe mah shouldah," said Sam, much embarrassedand ill at ease from all the compliments that were being given him.
"We'll all go with you," said John. "I'm all right now."
"And we'll make Sam tell us how he did it," added Fred eagerly.
"That's right, Sam," exclaimed Grant. "Tell us all about it."
"Well," began Sam slowly, "Ah doan' know jes' what dey is to tell. Ahjes' took dis heah knife wot yo' all done make so much fun ob, an' Ahjes' stick ol' mistah sha'k plum' in de belly wid it. Dat's all dey wasto it."
"But, Sam," Fred protested, "how did you get close enough to him? Did heattack you?"
"Ah reckon as how he did do dat," said Sam. "He jes' came a swimmin'right at me and natchully dey was only one thing foh me to do."
"Naturally," laughed Grant, "but tell us how you happened to get a goodchance at him and not be bitten."
"When Ah seen dat sha'k a comin' at me," continued Sam, "Ah knowed dathe meant business. Ah took mah knife in mah right han' an' Ah jes' sunka tweeny bit below de sufface ob de watah. He seen me an' he come rightfoh me too. Ah waited foh him to turn belly up 'cause Ah knowed dat whathe 'bliged to do befoh he able to use dem razah teeth ob his'n. Sho'nuff jes' befoh he reach me, ovah he go and den was mah chance. Ah sho'did let 'im have it an' Ah guess he ain' gwine bothah no more peoples."
"You must have been under water a long time," remarked Grant.
"Not so berry long," said Sam. "Dat ol' sha'k didn't waste no time aboutwhat he doin' an' yo' bet Ah didn't neither."
"I guess not," laughed Grant. "When did he hit your shoulder?"
"Right after Ah done stick 'im. Soon's Ah let 'im hab de knife he donecommence thrashin' 'round somethin' terrible. 'Fore Ah could get out obhis way he done hit me a swipe wid dat ol' tail ob his an' dar yo' seeit." Sam indicated his shoulder, which was still bleeding, though not asfreely as before.
"Well, all I can say is," exclaimed Fred, "that you ought to have amedal. I swear I don't see how anyone could have the nerve to fight ashark in the water. Why, I'd be afraid of one lying half dead on thebeach."
"So should I," said Grant. "How big was that fellow anyway, John?"
"Oh, I don't know. He must have been nearly eighteen feet though."
"Come on here," said Fred skeptically, "you can't make us believe athing like that. Eighteen feet; why, that's three times as long as youare."
"I know it is. I realized that when I said it."
"Is he right, Sam?" demanded Fred. "Was the shark as big as that?"
"Ah should say he was jes' about dat size," replied Sam seriously.
"All right," laughed Fred. "I won't argue with you, but that's easilythe biggest fish story I ever heard."
"It was the biggest fish I ever saw," said John grimly. "Whew!" and heshuddered at the recollection.
"What did you think when you saw him first?" asked Grant curiously.
"I was nearly scared to death," said John so solemnly that everybodylaughed. "I was swimming along easily and just taking my time when Isuddenly had a feeling that something was near me. I looked around andsure enough, over the top of a little wave, I saw that fin. I tell youit gave me the creeps and I honestly thought my last day had come. Iknew it was only a question of time before he attacked me and I watchedhim pretty closely, I can tell you. All the while I kept trying to getin nearer to shore, but I was afraid to swim fast for I knew that if Idid I couldn't watch the shark and that he would get me from behind."
"A nice feeling," remarked Fred grimly.
"I should say so. Well, in a minute I saw him coming and I began to kickand splash with all my might. I didn't think it would be of any use, butI had to do something. Imagine my surprise when I saw him veer away fromme. I knew he'd be back though and sure enough he was, and again Iscared him away, but I knew it couldn't last forever. He was gettingmore determined and closer to me each time and Sam got there none toosoon I can tell you."
"How did you know what was happening, Sam?" demanded Grant. "I thoughtyou were on watch up by the flag."
"So Ah was. Ah could see jes' the same, couldn't Ah?"
"I guess you could," laughed Grant. "It's lucky you could too."
"Maybe a ship has passed while we were down here," remarked Fred.
"A fine chance," said John skeptically. "No ships ever pass here."
"This island reminds me of that old story about the farmer at thecircus," said Grant. "He looked at the giraffe for a long time and thenfinally turned away in disgust. 'Oh, shucks,' he said, 'there ain't nosuch animal.' That's the way I feel about this island. There isn't anysuch place."
"It does seem so, doesn't it?" laughed Fred. "At any rate all the boatsseem to avoid it. We may never get a chance to use that signal."
On the summit of the hill near the spot where George's shirt did duty asa flag the boys had prepared a great pile of driftwood. The moment aship was sighted this pyre was to be lighted to attract the attention ofthose on board the boat.
"Dey's plenty ob people wot would lak to find dis island all right,"said Sam confidently. "Ah knows piles ob sailors wot would gib dere eyeteeth to see dis yere island wid de sha'k rock on it."
"Well, we found it all right," exclaimed Grant, "and from the look ofthings it is just as hard for us to get away from it as it is for mostpeople to find it."
"We've done better than most of them anyway," said Fred. "We've foundthe island but we can't find the treasure. Most people can't even findthe island."
"It hasn't done us any good so far," said Grant. "Now that we're on thiswonderful island what are we going to do about it?"
"Solve the code," replied Fred promptly. "Once that is done the rest iseasy."
"The same old cry," exclaimed Grant. "That code is beginning to haunt mydreams. I think of it all day and I dream of it all night."
"Perhaps you'll find the answer to it in a dream some time," suggestedJohn.
"If I only could," sighed Grant
disconsolately. "Come on," he added,"let's go back to the cave. Have you fixed your shoulder up all right,Sam?"
"It am as good as ebber," replied Sam cheerily.
They made their way along the bank of the little stream that flowed downfrom the spring. A soft breeze stirred the palm trees and the tropicalfoliage was brilliant. It would have been difficult to find any morebeautiful spot than this little island, set like a jewel, on the bosomof the sparkling sea. The spell of it affected every member of the partyand few words were spoken as they walked along.
Soon they came within sight of the cave.
"There's Pop," exclaimed John. "It's about time he got back."
"He'll certainly be excited when he hears about the shark," said Grant."I wish he had been there with us."
"He's been up to something himself probably," said Fred. "You can trusthim for stirring things up, no matter where he is."
"Well, I guess he has been up to something," exclaimed John. "Look atwhat he's got up there."