162 Winkle: the Eel-Man 



o* iron stickin' out. It broke off short-like 

 when I took hold. I kep' bobbin* up and 

 down, so I don't see how you come to miss 

 me; and when I was gettin* pretty well 

 played out I jerked at a bit more o* the old 

 iron, and it sort o* broke away in a big 

 lump, and I grabbed at somethin* shinin 1 

 that looked like a shiny fish, but wasn't 

 swimminMike. The water was clear enough 

 to make out a little, and I seen what I had 

 was money." 



Winkle stopped abruptly at this point and 

 commenced wildly staring at the sky. Then 

 he glanced at me, as if endeavoring to solve 

 some weighty problem that concerned me 

 more than himself. I did not interrupt him. 

 He must have his own way ; and it was but a 

 minute or two before his sanity returned and 

 he continued, " Somehow I was sort o* broke 

 up when I found money there and didn't take 

 in where I was, and, grabbin' that piece like 

 a vise, I just made fur the cabin and forgot 

 you had gone along; and that's the hull 

 story," and Winkle gave me one of his 

 searching glances, and said, in a lower and 

 persuasive tone, as if in much doubt as to 

 my decision, " There's this, lad, I'd like to 



