CHAPTER XIV 



Chased by an Alligator 



Henry and William took a stroll along the sea 

 beach one day, just to see what they could find. It 

 is remarkable how this habit takes hold of one when 

 indulged a little. Every wave is expected to bring 

 in a new wonder and every sand-hill to hide a bur- 

 ied treasure. Henry had spent hours at the Coney 

 Island beaches watching men digging and sifting 

 the sand for rings, bracelets, combs, and beads lost 

 by the bathers, so he knew the fascination of the 

 game; while to William, everything connected with 

 the ocean was new and intensely interesting. 



They picked up one pretty shell after another; 

 they marvelled at the delicacy and beauty of the 

 seaweeds; and inspected the starfish, sea-urchins, 

 sponges, jelly-fish, and other queer creatures from the 

 mysterious deep. They stumbled over long, trail- 

 ing vines that seemed to run everywhere, and ran 

 into clumps of cacti, strumpfia, and pencil bush and 

 thickets of sea grapes, with their broad leaves and 

 long clusters of purplish-red fruit. 



Finally, while resting under a clump of cocoanut 



8i 



