By Jove, they must have heard the cry!" "I'm sorry for the sheep then," muttered Compton.
They bent far forward, listening intently, and following the course taken by the sharks as defined by the gleaming wake.

The leadsman swung out the sounder as the vessel slackened down with a yell from the escape-valve that drowned all other sounds with its deafening clamour.
"By the deep nine!" cried a bass voice.
The bell in the engine-room signaled the skipper's order, and the ship felt her way once more.

Again there was silence, save for the throb of the engines and the grating of the steering-chain at intervals.
"I have not heard the cry again," said Compton.
"Can you see anything over there--follow the line of my finger-- there, just by that gleam ?" "Yes; I think there is something." "Then I think the captain ought to know;" and Venning ran off first to Mr.Hume.
"Something afloat, eh ?" and Mr.Home rose from his deck-chair.
"Some one in distress, I think," They went on to the bridge, and Venning began his story; but the captain cut him short by wheeling round to the rail.
"Ahoy, there--ahoy!" A startling response came in a long, quivering wail out of the dark sea.
"By the lord," muttered the captain, "what's that ?" "Jackal," said Mr.Hume.
"Impossible! We are miles from the shore." "Jackal, sure enough.

Maybe sent adrift by a flood, and taken to a tree." The captain laughed.

"I thought it was a hoodoo at least.