Winkle: the Eel-Man 161 



It's quicker swimmin* than scullin' a boat 

 with you in it." 



Was this fellow human? I felt a little 

 queer in his presence for the first time in 

 my life. English Jimmie was right : Winkle 

 could swim " like a heel," and he had. I 

 was angry, now that I was myself again, and 

 yet too much interested to spoil all by losing 

 my temper. I affefted to laugh at the whole 

 matter and allow Winkle to tell his story in 

 his own time and way. This, after some 

 minutes had elapsed, he did. 



" I slipped down to the bottom and crawled 

 along the sides where the pebbles jine the 

 muddy slopes, but I couldn't see nothin* 

 that oughtn't 'a' been there. Just mud on 

 the slopes and stones where the tide keeps 

 a-washin'. Then I popped up for a bit o* 

 wind, and went down along the Barge Creek 

 shores, and there wasn't no difference. I 

 kep' comin' up for a puff o' air and down 

 again, and then I made out a hump in the 

 creek channel and a deep hole where the 

 water swashed round like a mill-race. I 

 had to show up often 'fore I could get at 

 the place, and then I found it was all a 

 hump o' hard clay; but I made out a bit 



