160 Winkle: the Eel-Man 



cabin, but a few steps away, I do not know. 

 I was too excited still to realize anything 

 altogether rationally, and but dimly remem- 

 ber my question, " What does this all 

 mean ?" 



Winkle turned slowly towards me as I 

 spoke, and while his reply was forthcoming 

 I slowly regained composure. " It means 

 that you're right," he finally said in a peculiar 

 way that showed he too was much excited, 

 though otherwise undemonstrative. 



" Then why didn't you tell me, and how 

 did you get here ?" I asked, with some show 

 of indignation. 



" How ?" he exclaimed, as if surprised 

 at my questions ; " why, swum, o' course. 

 Didn't I show a-top o' the water ?" 



" No ; you sneaked off so as to frighten 

 me out of my wits," I replied, with no 

 abatement of my annoyance at the trick he 

 had played me. 



"Did, lad? Well, I didn't mean to," 

 Winkle said in most aggravating tones, as if 

 all that had happened was of no consequence 

 nor in any way unusual. " I s'posed I was 

 a-top o' the water somewhere up-stream and 

 didn't think to call back fur you to come on. 



