THE TALKING-FISH. 



"I reckon that's what I've heard often," 

 said Long John, who, while alternately tending 

 the sheet and cleaning up the boat as they sped 

 along, had been an attentive listener. " I remem- 

 ber one night Bob and me was out to the south- 

 'ard here in a calm. We had forgot the oars, 

 and laid there all night, and such groanin' and 

 whistlin' I never heard the like of before. The 

 next mornin' Bob stuck to it that I'd been asleep 

 and had the nightmare ; I hadn't, though. But 

 here w r e are " ; and, taking out the boat-hook, 

 the boatman fended off as the Rosetta ran lightly 

 alongside the dock. 



" War's dat shark dat we was to see swim- 

 min' roun' in de moat ? " asked Paublo, who, 

 with some of the colored boys, had come 

 down to help carry up the fish and other speci- 

 mens. 



"We found so many other things that we 

 forgot all about it," said Tom. " When you can 

 catch porcupines on a hook and line," he added, 

 holding up his prize, that had now subsided, 

 " why bother about sharks ? " 



"I only mention it, Mars Tom, 'case a big 



