THE TALKING-FISH. 137 



he turned on the rest raised a loud shout of 

 laughter. His whole face was dripping with 

 streams of ink that ran in little rivulets down 

 his cheeks and dropped from his nose. 



" What in the world is the matter with 

 you ? " gasped Harry as soon as he could stop 

 laughing. 



" I suppose the squids shot me," replied 

 Tom, wiping the ink from his face with his 

 handkerchief and trying to smile at the amuse- 

 ment he was affording. " I wouldn't have be- 

 lieved they could throw ink so far," he added. 

 " My face was certainly a foot from the water, 

 and the moment I put the net in I felt the ink. 

 I think I must have dropped the net, too." 



" Here it is," said Long John, with a chuckle ; 

 " I fished it out. But you did get a dose," he 

 added. 



" Well, I don't blame you for laughing," said 

 Tom ; " I must look like a zebra. I shall have 

 this handkerchief to remember it by, as they say 

 the ink is indelible." 



"I think there is something on your line, 

 Master Tom," interrupted Long John. 



