12 SCIENCE SKETCHES. 
to the left, but swimming right on up-stream just 
as rapidly as they could. And these great salmon 
would not stop for them, and would not lie and float 
with the current. They had no time to talk, even 
in the simple sign-language by which fishes express 
their ideas, and no time to eat. They had im- 
portant work before them, and the time was short. 
So they went on up the river, keeping their great 
purposes to themselves; and our little salmon and 
‘his friends from the Cowlitz drifted down the 
stream. 
By-and-by the water began to change. It grew 
denser, and no longer flowed rapidly along; and 
twice a day it used to turn about and flow the other 
way. Then the shores disappeared, and the water 
began to have a different and peculiar flavor,—a 
flavor which seemed to the salmon much richer and 
more inspiring than the glacier-water of their native 
Cowlitz. There were many curious things to see, 
—crabs with hard shells and savage faces, but so 
good when crushed and swallowed! Then there 
were luscious squid swimming about; and, to a 
salmon, squid are like ripe peaches and cream. 
There were great companies of delicate sardines 
and herring, green and silvery, and it was such 
fun to chase and capture them! -Those who eat 
sardines packed in oil by greasy fingers, and 
herrings dried in the smoke, can have little idea 
how satisfying it is to have a meal of them, plump 
and sleek and silvery, fresh from the sea. 
Thus the salmon chased the herrings about, and 
had a merry time. Then they were chased about 
in turn by great sea-lions, — swimming monsters 
