Page:Bedford-Jones--Boy Scouts of the Air at Cape Peril.djvu/117

 other side Cat, shoes off, with his feet dangling, was engaged in the more thrilling and productive pastime of crabbing. The net that lay beside him was frequently called into play to scoop in some unwary shellfish toled to the surface by the cautiously raised piece of meat suspended from a line. The victims, squirming and clawing, were dumped into the cockpit to create a small pandemonium about the toes of the long-suffering pilot.

Suddenly, this peaceful scene was shattered by a wild yell from Miller, who fell back, feet in air, as if propelled by some powerful spring, and rolled against Jimmy. The latter, struggling to his feet, gazed upon a pallid face and two staring, terror-stricken eyes. Turner, startled from his own pursuit, whirled about, and as his glance passed from the terrified boy to the water in search of the source of the commotion, his eyes fell upon a pale bluish torpedo-shaped body of monster proportions, in the act of rolling to one side, exhibiting, as it did so, a gleaming white belly and, below the muzzle, a hideous many-toothed mouth agape in preparation for snapping the meat bait.