“You may well say that, lad,” agreed the captain. “They saved you from visiting Davy Jones, without a doubt.”
“We your friends. Must save you even if it cost our lives,” said Anai, looking embarrassed.
“Shure an’ thot’s more than many a white man wud say,” approved Muldoon warmly. “Byes, give us yer flippers. Ye may hav’ black skins, but be jabers yer hearts is pure gold entoirely.”
The canoe was taken in tow and the whole party returned to the yacht, where they received more congratulations from the others on board who had watched the whole affair spell-bound with alarm and then with admiration at the Kanaka boys’ brave act. The decks rang with cheers as they came on board, Captain Sparhawk and Jack supporting Billy, who was still white and shaky.
Mr. Jukes’ enthusiasm for Anai and Bolabola knew no bounds. The millionaire wanted them to accept a handful of gold pieces each. But the lads shook their heads. Gold was of little use to them. But other presents which were showered upon them they accepted gladly. There was almost a canoe-full of them, ranging from gaudy neckties to a broken concertina, the latter being presented by Muldoon. It could emit, upon coaxing, a few wheezy notes, and the brown boys appeared to prize it quite above any of their other gifts.
In the meantime, on the foredeck, to which the body of the great shark had been hoisted by slings, the members of the crew, who understood such operations, assisted by Muldoon, were cutting up the monster. From time to time they flung useless bits of offal over the side. A scramble from such of the sharks as had disposed of the dead bodies of their companions instantly ensued. Sharks are the most rapacious of any creatures on land or sea, and their appetites appeared to have been slacked in no important particular by their cannibal meal.
“Bad luck to yez,” exclaimed Muldoon, shaking his fist at them after one of these rushes, for every sailor hates a shark. “There’s many a thrue lad gone to his long rickonin’ through yez or yez mates. Bad cess to all uv yez, says Tim Muldoon.”
An interested group, among whom were Jack and Billy, watched the proceedings from the bridge. Mr. Jukes was no less interested than the rest. He attentively watched the sharks as they fought. Perhaps their feverish rapacity reminded him of certain “big business” operations at home in the States where great corporations have been not unknown to gobble up their small competitors as hungrily as any tiger shark.