"I like fish," Margy announced. "You know, Grandma Bell had goldfish.
They were pretty."

"And I like fish to eat," said Vi. "Are sharks good to eat?"

"Maybe they will eat you," warned Laddie, who had entered into the play
with all his thought and interest.

"Oh, Laddie Bunker! They wouldn't," cried Vi.

"Well, they might. Anyway, you've got to be afraid of the sharks and not
step off the raft."

Meanwhile Russ had gone over to the lifeboat. He had not asked even his
friend, the quartermaster, if he could play in that boat. But he saw no
reason why he could not, as nobody seemed to be using it.

The canvas cover was tied down with many strings; but the knots slipped
very easily and the boy pulled out three of the knots and then laid back
a corner of the canvas. It was dark inside the boat, and before Russ
crept into it as he intended, he bent over the gunwale and peered in.

Suddenly he gasped, and pulled his head back. He was startled, but Russ
Bunker was a courageous boy. He had seen something--or he thought he had
seen something--squirming in the brown darkness inside the boat.

He waited a little, and then put his head under the canvas and took a
long look. Was there something or somebody there? Russ was determined to
find out!