THE COMMODORE AND CREW. Bre 

Breakfast over, the Commodore sits upon the shore enjoy- 
ing the view, and his cigar. Everything made a little tidy 
about the camp, the crew picks out a small hardwood coal 
from the fire, ¢ezderly, and laying it upon the top of the well 
loaded brierwood, carefully, soon joins him. 
Soon again we have the light zephyrs just touching the 
smooth surface in places, as in fitful puffs they flit away over 
it in many separate currents, so again we see the long lines 
of ripples sparkling in the sun, all through in many places and 
down alongside the wide mirrors. 
Now we hear the loons, frequently calling, away down the 
lake, very plainly when so far away, the sound coming so 
distinctly over the quiet waters. An answer is given to their 
calls near by us, and our two early risers, that we saw loom- 
ing up large and loony, just at light, come swimming back 
our way and are already much too close for their safety ; did the 
Commodore wish a specimen for the taxidermist; but he 
prefers them as they are, and where they are. 
Sitting quiet upon the shore while they are diving about, 
under and out, after the small chub or minnows that swim in 
schools, he sees a number of the little fishes scoot straight 
toward him, out of, and over the water, three and four feet at 
a jump, and is somewhat astonished at this, but only for a 
moment, for immediately behind them just under the water, 
comes one of the loons swimming astonishingly swift and with 
a sweep much too fast for the fish; for although they fairly 
fly out of the water, he succeeds in capturing one or more, and 
rises to the surface so near the Commodore, and so much 
astonished to see where he was, that he was under before we 
could say good morning to him; and again he rises only 
twenty feet away from shore, seeming yet much confused, 
