feeble flapping failing even to carry the creature 

 forward; the pitch utterly preventing all possibil- 

 ity of rising. I reached for the dip-net, and scoop- 

 ing up the exhausted gull I deposited it on the 

 bottom of the boat. 



What a sight ! The sticky oily mass with which 

 it was covered had penetrated its feathers to the 

 skin. It had retained the use of its left eye; the 

 other was as thickly smeared as was the rest of the 

 body even to the webbing of its feet. 



I was for killing the gull at once to put it out of 

 its misery, but was opposed by my Faithful Assis- 

 tant who, it seemed, had already formed a plan of 

 her own. She was for leaving me on the beach with 

 a hand-net and flash-light together with other par- 

 aphernalia to follow the movements of the spider- 

 crabs by wading, while she returned with the bird 

 to the Hippocampus where, with some gasoline 

 from the fuel-tank, the creature could be cleaned, 

 perhaps thereby prolonging its life. 



Reminding her that this would involve further 

 care until the patient regained its strength, and 

 would add to the litter as well as the labor now 

 already great in connection with the hospital be- 

 ing made of our house and premises — which now 



[204] 



