Pride of Power 195 



all-compelling power that, implanted in me and in those 

 I met with in all my journeyings, made us employ 

 our vigour in the way we did, and fiU ourselves with 

 the sheer delight of clean, abounding life. Describe 

 to you the splendour of the midnight sea, the brilliantly 

 illuminated waters, lit beyond all man's imaginings, 

 and yet ever assuring us that beyond our powers of 

 investigation were splendours far greater. Never a 

 hungry moment, never one instant when I felt that I 

 ought never to have been, as I know you humans do 

 feel ; ah ! how much I have lived ! Once I measured 

 my speed against a mighty steamship in company 

 with many porpoises. I easily outstripped them 

 all, easily swam round her as she did her best, and 

 when under her bows crossing, was rewarded for ray 

 magnificent exhibition of strength and endurance by 

 just escaping a brutal downward thrust of a weapon 

 with fine barbed points. One did plough a deep 

 furrow in my side ; but I did not mind that ; wounds 

 far deeper and more serious are healed at sea, and the 

 receiver of them cares not nor bears malicious remem- 

 brance of them. 



In due time (what do I know of time divisions 

 such as bind you ?) I arrived at Puget Sound. It 

 was high summer, and those pellucid waters were full 

 of fish. Never before had I tasted the joys of biting 

 into the body of a twelve to twenty pound salmon, 

 of chasing a school of immature salmon into an estuary, 

 where I could devour them at my leisure. I spent 

 here a perfectly satisfying holiday, daily adding to 

 my girth and other powers. Then I thought I would 

 go sout' or, rather, the initial impulse was com- 

 municated to me by that outside force of which we 

 know nothing, but that we all acknowledge its power, 

 and I sidled southwards reluctantly. 



