178 THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



cormorants separated, one diving deeply while the 

 other followed its prey directly. Soon the confused 

 fish dived at right angles and before it had time to 

 turn again was in the beak of the second bird. 

 The moment it was captured, both birds relaxed 

 every muscle and with dangling wings and feet let 

 themselves be drawn up to the surface. There, 

 even from my depth, I watched a second race be- 

 gin, and surmised the details of what I had seen 

 enacted twice the day before fropi the boat, a cor- 

 morant coming up with a fish and instantly chased 

 by another, both travelling at such high speed, that 

 with wings spattering and feet going, their entire 

 bodies were almost out of water. At the first op- 

 portunity, a quick upward toss, reversing the fish, 

 and a gulp, and down it went headfirst. On this 

 occasion I saw only the frantic disturbance of the 

 surface, rapid dodging, and then cessation of 

 motion, after which the leading bird immersed and 

 shook its beak in the water several times, and I 

 knew that if I so chose, I could write in my journal 

 that at Narborough, Nannopterwm harrisii in- 

 cludes Paranthias furcifer in its articles of diet. 



The surface ripples had hardly ceased when a 

 cloud drifted across my little sky. And, paren- 

 thetically, at this place I digress long enough to 

 make a certain point clear. As I ramble on of 

 the adventures and sights which came to me in my 

 underworld, there would seem to occur almost a 

 rhythmic succession of happenings, one after the 

 other, like the feats of circus performers who wait 

 in the wings for their turn to come. This works 



