Winkle: the Eel-Man 157 



but, then, he had never been proved such. 

 Suddenly my thoughts were cut short by the 

 recollection of his prolonged absence. I 

 felt worried for a moment and then fright- 

 ened. Had he stuck in the mud and 

 drowned? I looked over the side of the 

 boat but could see no distance into the 

 water, and I scanned every inch of the near- 

 by shores. I have good eyes. If he were 

 playing some game, I knew that he could 

 not hide from me. Had he disturbed the 

 dock or wild-rice growing at the water's 

 edge, I should have detefted it. It is a 

 small objeft that can elude my search. Cer- 

 tainly, I concluded, an accident has hap- 

 pened. I was really frightened, and, as 

 fright always makes fools of us, made a des- 

 perate effort to collecl: myself. In time, the 

 absurdity of calling to Winkle occurred to 

 me; and as useless would it have been to 

 call for help, for I was far from any habita- 

 tion. Worse than all, I did not dare to dive, 

 being no swimmer, and Winkle must be 

 dead anyhow, so long a time had elapsed 

 since his disappearance. I waited fully ten 

 minutes to wholly collecl: myself, and I saw, 

 then, that all that was left to me was to 



