THE TALKING-FISII. 141 



"I reckon that's what I've heard often," 

 said Long John, "who, while alternately tending 

 the sheet and cleaning up the boat as they sped 

 along, had been an attentive listener. " I remem- 

 ber one night Bob and me was out to the south- 

 'ard here in a calm. We had forgot the oars, 

 and laid there all night, and such groanin' and 

 whistlin' I never heard the like of before. The 

 next mornin' Bob stuck to it that I'd been asleep 

 and had the nightmare ; I hadn't, though. But 

 here we are " ; and, taking out the boat-hook, 

 the boatman fended off as the Itosetta ran lightly 

 alongside the dock. 



" War's dat shark dat we was to see swim- 

 rain' roun' in de moat ? " asked Paublo, who, 

 with some of the colored boys, had come 

 down to help carry up the fish and other speci- 

 mens. 



"We found so many other things that we 

 forgot all about it," said Tom. " When you can 

 catch porcupines on a hook and line," he added, 

 holding up his j^rize, that had now subsided, 

 " why bother about sharks ? " 



"I only mention it, Mars Tom, 'case a big 



