110 THE SEA-SIDE AND AQUARIUM. 



heavy brewer's dray, as the Crab to move the united 

 weight of his shell and the great Whelk combined. 

 There was one hole left for him, whereby he might 

 creep out of his difficulty. It was not a pleasant 

 alternative certainly, but it must be done, so giving 

 a final tug, quite as futile as any he had before made, 

 he unhooked his tail, and clambered up the friendly 

 piece of sandstone that stood hard by. From the 

 apex of this resting-place he looked savagely down 

 upon the wretch, who had, as he thought, wilfully 

 robbed him of his house his all ! 



" Is it not too bad, sir, for such a crawling rascal 

 to stick to his neighbour's property like that ? " he 

 seemed to ask, looking up at me. " Honi soit qui mal 

 y pense," thought I, for I knew the Whelk had, like 

 Michael Cassio, 



" Err'd in ignorance, and not in cunning." 



I could not, therefore, think of going to the rescue. 

 The result proved that it was unnecessary ; for, soon 

 afterwards, he had crept over the Hermit's cell, and 

 was quietly wending his way towards the wrinkled 

 sands. 



The Crab, who had been attentively watching every 

 movement, no sooner perceived the coast clear, than 

 he scrambled down to his " old house at home," be- 

 fore the door of which I had just mischievously 

 pushed a .pebble. Determined not to be baffled by 

 such an obstacle, he quickly scraped it away, sorted 



