The shark
instantly sank to have a run, then dashed at his prey, raising his snout
over him, and shooting his head and shoulders three or four feet out of the
water, with poor Jackoo shrieking in his jaws, whilst his small bones
crackled and crunched under the monster's triple row of teeth.
Whilst this small tragedy was acting--and painful enough it was to the
kind--hearted negro--I was looking out towards the eastern horizon,
watching the first dark--blue ripple of the sea--breeze, when a rushing
noise passed over my head. I looked up and saw a gawnaso, the large
carrion--crow of the tropics, sailing, contrary to the habits of its kind,
seaward over the brig. I followed it with my eye, until it vanished in the
distance, when my attention was attracted by a dark speck far out in the
offing, with a little tiny white sail. With my glass I made it out to be
a ship's boat, but I saw no one on board, and the sail was idly flapping
about the mast.
On making my report, I was desired to pull towards it in the gig; and as we
approached, one of the crew said he thought he saw some one peering over
the bow. We drew nearer, and I saw him distinctly.
"Why don't you haul the sheet aft, and come down to us, sir?"
He neither moved nor answered, but, as the boat rose and fell on the short
sea raised by the first of the breeze, the face kept mopping and mowing at
us over the gunwale.
"I will soon teach you manners, my fine fellow! give way, men" and I fired
my musket, when the crow that I had seen, rose from the boat into the air,
but immediately alighted again, to our astonishment, vulture--like with
out--stretched wings, upon the head.
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