186 
A PROUD DIPD. 
“In tlie mean time, the four I'cmaining cormorants were 
huddled together on the far end of the raft, drying their 
feathers, switching their tails, and looking altogether quite 
cool and comfortable. After being down from ten to 
fifteen seconds, the absent explorer hopped suddenly out 
of the water with quite a good-sized fish in his mouth, 
swam to his master, gave up the half-swallowed prize, 
and hopped upon his knee, where he shook himself 
while tlie fish was being put in the basket. Ilis master 
tlien stroked him down as before, — much to his apparent 
delight, — whispered again in his ear, and placed him 
once more upon the edge of the raft. 
“Again lie dived, and again ho came up with a fish, 
lie then underw'ent a similar process of caressing, and 
was once more placed on the water’s edge. Now, how- 
ever, fortune seemed to have left him. lie had no fish 
■when he arose after a protracted absence, and seemed at 
a loss what to do, lie turned himself around in the 
water several times, keeping his dai'k eyes fixed on his 
master’s iis if asking permission to try it again. Sud- 
denly the latter made a motion wdth his liand, and down 
he went. When lie came up he brought quite a large 
fish, — eight inches long, say, — whicli struggled violently, 
as though surprised at the unusual situation in which he 
found himself. He too was put in the basket, the 
proud cormorant once more caressed, and then placed 
gently in the centre of the raft instead of upon its edge 
as formerly. 
“This seemed to tell him that his services were no 
longer required, and that ho had acquitted himself with 
considerable credit; for he moved olf to the other end 
