A BAND OF PIRATES 
231 
“ These clever little folks are able to float at 
will along on the surface of the water. They are 
not very skilful at their oars, to be sure, but they 
can turn and tack about and get along well 
enough to suit their needs. They can also dip 
down with surprising suddenness, stopping at 
any desired depth in the water. How do you 
explain this? The worms themselves are help¬ 
less looking, as you can see by the specimen 
Tommy has captured.—Ah, don’t throw him 
away, boy,” as Tommy’s arm was raised to de¬ 
posit the unfortunate worm in the water. “ Take 
him home with vou, and watch him build a new 
submarine! You can put him in a glass jar, and 
supply him with whatever materials your fancy 
pleases. 
“ His old boat is too badly wrecked to be sea¬ 
worthy, but even if it were not, I can assure you 
that it would not float without the boatman. 
However does he manage? Let us see: when at 
rest in the bottom of the pond his plump little 
body comfortably fills his boat. Suppose he 
takes a notion to go to the surface and have a look 
around. Apparently he cannot rise unaided; he 
climbs slowly up a reed stalk, painstakingly drag¬ 
ging his boat along after him. Once at the level 
of the water, he sticks the front of his body out of 
his sheath, leaving a vacant space in the tightly- 
closed rear of his boat, which like the vacuum in 
