Year: 1875

said that, and the way he stood waiting
for the blow, never moving a muscle,
beat all the plays l ever saw.


/ said nothing for minute-I could
not have spoke to have saved my life
and then 1 flung the knife on deck, and
said:


81 wouldn't touch hair of your head,
my brave fellow, for the world you be
good boy, and let's have no more nom
sense !"


He gave my hand grip that made it
ache for whole day after, and away he
went and there, thought, was an end
of that.


About week after. we were lying at
Suez, taking in cargo, and had nearly
got it aboard, when, one afternoon, the
weather being fearfully hot, l thought l
might as well have a bath and SO l
did.


was Just thinking, after padding
about for quarter of an hour or SO,
that it was about time to get on board
again, when, all all at once, between me
and the ship rose black, pointed thing,
that at once knew was the back fin of a
shark.


wasn't exactly frightened ; there's
no time for that in such scrapes; all
the fright comes after it's over. just
felt my breath 60 for a moment, as if
some one had hit me; and then | found
myself wondering how the shark would
take hold OF me-lengthways or side
ways, or with my head right in his
/ mouth.


l saw him lurch round in the water
ready for a rush then, suddenly, there
was splash and bubbling, and up rose
the shark, almost"upright in the water,
wriggling like spea. eel, and the
clear water around him turned dark
with blood. Then so something grasped
my shoulder, and heerd Spiro saying,
quite coolly:


GAIL right, capitano; he no hurt you
now"


The fellow had actually dived under
the shark and cut a cash in him as big
as the mouth of letter-bOx with the
same knife he had intended to kill me
with.


The shark wasn't quite dead, but he
was too hard hi. to 60 far; 80, after they
had picked us up, they settled him and
hauled him aboard, and l have bit Of
|
stick.


Well, after that Spiro and I were the
greatest chums on the ship; and when
the poor fellow died of fever about a
year after, was as sorry as if it had
been my own brother.


Just before he died, he gave me the
knife; this is it hanging round my neck.
So, it seems to me, let fellow be as
black as the mouth of q tunnel, there
may be good in him Notwithstanding.


SCHooLBoY HERoIsM. - Two boys
were in schoolroom alone, when some
fireworks, contrary to the masters rue,
exploded. One boy denied the other,
Bonnie Christie, would neither admit
nor deny it, and was fogged for his OBJ
stinacy.


When the boys were alone again, the
delinquent az ted, why didn't you
deny t?"


Because there were only we two, and
one of us must have lied," replied Bon
ME.


"Then why did you not say that l
did it?"


"Because you said you didn't, and l
would share the lle."


The boys heart was melted; Bonnie's
moral gallantry had entirely subdued
him.


When school was resumed, the young
rogue marched up to the masters desk,
and said:


"Please, sir, can't bear to be liar
l let off the squibs," and burst into
tears.


The masters eyes glistened OH the
selfaccuser, and the unmerited punish
ment which he had inflicted upon Bonnie
smote his conscience.


Before the whole school, hand in hand
with the culprit, the master walked
down to where young Christie sat, and
said aloud:


"Bonnie Bonnie my lad, he and I
beg your pardon. We were both to
blamep


The school was hushed and still, as
older pupils are apt to be when some
thing true and noble is being done-so
still they might have heard Bonnie's
big tears drop proudly on his book, as
he sat enjoying the moral triumph which
subdued himself, as well as filled all
the rest, and then for want of something
else to say, he gently cried


"Master foreverp


The glorious shout of the scholars filled
the old mans eyes with something be-
hind his spectacles which made him wipe
them before he resumed the chair.
/