244 ^^^ Dolphin 



breeze. Occasionally we came to a great clear space 

 in the midst of the surrounding aggregations of weed, 

 wherein it seemed to my excited fancy there moved all 

 the embodiments of my most fevered dreams, such 

 weird shapes as only seemed possible of materiali- 

 sation in a kind of waking trance. But suddenly, 

 while moving slowly through one of the smooth water- 

 glades, we came upon a large school of fish, numbering 

 some thousands I should think, who swam in a compact 

 body, as if moved by one common impulse. 



When they all turned simultaneously, the flash 

 given off by their bodies was as if a gigantic mirror 

 had suddenly revolved, focussing the sun upon my eye. 

 I was fascinated, spellbound. It had never before 

 occurred to me that all over the great and wide sea 

 we should meet with fish ; like so many other people, 

 I had imagined the sea to be a barren waste of bitter 

 waters. Breathlessly I sought the only sailor on 

 board from whom I was ever able to get any information 

 and, full of excitement, led him to the rail, where I 

 pointed out the school. ' Wha — what are they ? ' 

 I gasped. He gave just one look, jerked out the word 

 ' Dolphin,' and rushed away, leaving me wondering 

 whatever was the matter. 



He dived into the forecastle, emerging in a minute 

 with a fishing-line, to the end of which was attached 

 a stout hook and a burnished piece of tin. Running 

 out to the bowsprit end he began to jerk the line up 

 and down, allowing the shining lure to touch the water 

 intermittently. In a minute he had a fish, the whole 

 school having moved on to a spot just beneath him. 

 And I had the privilege of fetching his catch in while 

 he tried for another. He caught them so fast that I 

 had no time to stop and examine them until the school 

 shifted, which was not before he had caught eight. 



