PIRATES AGAIN 
115 
him for hours. Had he left her in this 
moment of her need? It must be so for 
he was no where to be seen. Baby scolded 
herself for trusting him. Had he not allowed 
her to go on playing about on the sea? 
Had he not encouraged her to hope she 
might go on and on over the water to her 
southern home? Now he was gone! How 
she wished she had tried harder to make 
the sky her home as well as the sea. But 
there was no help for sad thoughts now. 
In just a few moments she might be no more. 
Already she heard the cold snap! snap! of 
Ivory Gull’s teeth close to her head. Well, 
they should not catch her very easy. She 
dived again and again. But each time her 
strength grew less and less and each time 
the bird pirates managed to come closer 
and closer to her as she rose. 
She had just given up hope and was about 
to cease diving and allow herself to float 
on the surface when she heard a different 
noise. There was a savage snap many times 
louder than Old Ivory Gull’s savage teeth 
