Chapter VII 

 SOME FRIENDS IN ARMOR {Cont'mued) 



The peregrinations of our gladiator do not take 

 him very far before he meets with a female. The 

 latter, who is less than a third as large as the other, 

 does not perceive him until he swoops down upon her 

 from an ambushing frond of sea lettuce over which he 

 has crawled. Instantly she withdraw^s completely into 

 her shell and covertly watches him. When he reaches 

 her he rolls over her shell, then stands above her wait- 

 ing for her to emerge. It is not long before her an- 

 tennae are thrust out, followed immediately by her fore 

 body. Whereupon he seizes her by a rear leg and re- 

 tains a secure hold. The art of coquetry seems not to 

 be absent even among the lowly, for she makes a great 

 pretense at resistance and vainly endeavors to free her- 

 self. But he will not be denied. The rogue is a cool 

 lover; ardency in his make-up, though not wanting, is 

 without tenderness; he deliberately pulls her after him 

 while he continues his perambulations. 



Now and then they halt. In these periods he idly 

 and mechanically scrapes the sand for atoms of food 

 that he does not desire, but which she eagerly devours 

 when they drift her way. By this time she has ceased 

 her resistant efforts and resigns herself to him without 



