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Grief was squatted over a small fire, broiling a strip of shark-flesh. The last twenty-four hours had been lucky. Seaweed and sea urchins had been gathered. Tehaa had caught a shark, and Mauriri had captured a fair-sized octopus at the base of the crevice where the dynamite was stored.
Ben Brace and the boy, convinced by this additional testimony that the Coromantee must have heard something more than the frizzling of the shark-flesh, without saying a word, imitated his example, and eagerly bent their ears to listen. They had not long to wait before becoming convinced that Snowball had heard something besides the spirting of the shark-steaks.
The ex-cook, unlike most others of his calling, did not like to see his fuel idly wasted: and therefore, in obedience to the thought that had suggested itself, he brought forth another flake of shark-flesh, and submitted to the flames, as before. While observing him in the performance of this provident task, a capital idea also occurred to Ben Brace.
It was this reflection that caused the sailor and his protege to take counsel together as to what might be done towards preserving it. They were not long in coming to a decision. Shark-flesh, like that of any other fish like haddock, for instance, or red herrings can be dried in the sun; and the more readily in that sun of the torrid zone that shone down so hotly upon their heads.
Further Expedition Planned Thank-offerings of Notu Chiefs The Voyage A Gigantic Flatfish Negotiating a Difficult Bar Moat Unhealthy Spot in New Guinea Hostility of Natives Precautions at Night Catching Ground Sharks and a "Groper" Shark-flesh a Delicacy to the Natives Wakened by a War Cry A False Alarm A Hairbreadth Escape Between "Devil and Deep Sea" Dangers of the Goldfield Two Miners Eaten Alive Unexpected Visit from a White Man "Where's that Razor?"
Both rose simultaneously to their feet, and commenced taking down the slices of half-dried shark-flesh, and placing them upon the sail-cloth, with the intention, as the sailor had counselled it, to unship the oars that had been doing duty as masts, and make use of them in their proper manner. While engaged in this operation both remained silent, at intervals stopping in their work to listen.
Another shark was "hooked," and then despatched in a similar fashion; and then another and another, until Ben Brace believed that enough shark-flesh had been obtained to furnish the Catamaran with stores for the most prolonged voyage. At all events, they would now have food such as it was to last as long as the water with which the hand of Providence alone seemed to have provided them.
We left the crew of the Catamaran in full occupation, "smoking" shark-flesh on the back of a cachalot whale. To make sure of a sufficient stock, enough to last them with light rations for a voyage, if need be, to the other side of the Atlantic, they had continued at the work all day long, and several hours into the night.
Perhaps we have drifted too far adown the currents of the ocean. From our digression let us return to out special "Waifs." We left them making preparations to roast the shark-flesh, not in single steaks, but in a wholesale fashion, as if they had intended to prepare a "fish dinner" for the full crew of a frigate.
They saw their stores scattered about over the waves, their oars and implements drifting about; and, what was still worse, the great sea-chest of the sailor, which, in the hurry of the late transfer, had been packed full of shark-flesh, they could not see. Weighted as it was, it must have gone to the bottom, carrying its precious contents along with it.
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