UNDER THE DECK AWNINGS
Part II
“It was a pretty sight. Among the boys there was a little fellow who could dive wonderfully, much better than the other boys. He could make the swallow-dive' more beautifully than I had ever seen it. He dived again and again. We all watched him with delight, especially Miss Caruthers. He was not older than twelve or thirteen, but he was certainly the cleverest among the boys. He was their favourite and leader, though some of them were older than he. He was a beautiful boy, active and brave. He was so healthy, fresh and young, so full of life, that it was a pleasure to look at him.
"This was the boy. And it was he who gave alarm in the middle of the sport.' All the boys hurried to get out of the water. They were all frightened and swam towards the ship as quickly as they could. They hurriedly climbed onto the deck. Now all of them were standing near the rail and looking down into the water.
"What's the matter?" asked Miss Caruthers.
"A shark, I think," Captain Bentley answered.
"Are they afraid of sharks?" she asked.
"Aren't you?" he asked back.'
She shuddered, looked down into the water.
"Not for the world would I risk to dive if there was a shark nearby,"' she said and shuddered again. "They are terrible!
Terrible!"
"Captain Bentley made a sign to the boys to go away. But Miss Caruthers stopped him.
"One moment, please, Captain."
"And then she turned to us and asked: "Who will lend me a half-crown and a sovereign?"'
"Immediately all of us were holding out the coins to her.
"She held up the half-crown so that the boys could see it. But none of them moved. She offered the coin to each of the boys, and each of them shook his head' and smiled. Then she threw the coin into the sea. With sad faces they watched its silver flight' through the air, but not one moved to follow it.
"Don't do it with the sovereign," Dennitson said to her in a low voice.'
"But she held up the gold coin before the eyes of the boy who had made the swallow-dive.
"Don't do it," Dennitson said. It's a fortune to him. He may risk his life to get it." "Wouldn't you?" she asked.
Dennitson shook his head.
"She was silent for a moment. She had forgotten the boy, and was thinking of Dennitson.
"For me?" she said in a low voice. "To save your life - yes. But not to get the coin."
"She turned back to the boy. Again she held the coin before his eyes.
"It is difficult to say why she did it. It was unexpected for all of us. Suddenly the gold coin flashed in the sunshine. Before a hand could stop him, the boy was over the rail and making a beautiful swallowdive after the coin.
"In the clear water from the high deck, we saw everything. The shark was very big and in an instant it cut the boy in
half.
"There was a murmur among us and then there was silence. Miss Caruthers was the first to speak." Her face was very white.
"I ... never thought," she said, and laughed a short, hysterical laugh.
"She turned to Dennitson, and then from one to another of us. Her lips were trembling. But nobody moved.
"Mr Dennitson," she said, "please take me to my cabin."
"He did not even change the direction of his look. His face was dark. Captain Bentley made a strange sound in his throat. That was all, that and the silence.
"She turned away and began to walk slowly down the deck."
Treloar had finished his story. He turned his head, looked at the little man and asked coldly.
"Well, what can you say to that?"
The little man opened his mouth and then closed it.
"I have nothing to say," he said. "Absolutely nothing."

(After J. London)