l
disposition born with us, one which requires a great deal of education
to eliminate; that disposition to exaggerate in talking about things we
have seen and others have not."

"Yes, sir, I know," grunted the skipper. "People will stretch."

"Exactly," said Uncle Paul--"magnify wonders that they have seen."

"Quite right, sir. I did just now about that sparm whale. I don't
believe after all that they get to a hundred foot."

"Still," said the doctor, "we know what a spermaceti whale is; but this
supposed creature which has been reported of over and over again under
the name of the sea-serpent still lives only in the land of doubt--"

"Oh, uncle!" cried Rodd.

"Well, sir, I didn't see much doubt about that thing."

"H'm! no," replied the doctor thoughtfully; "but still you must grant
that we did not have a fair examination, and that neither of us, even if
we were clever with our pencils, could sketch an exact representation of
the natural phenomenon."

"Nat'ral, sir?" said the skipper gruffly. "Well, to my mind it is a
very unnatural sort of thing."

"I think I could sketch it, uncle, if I were clever with my pencil,
which I am not, for I can seem to see it quite plainly now, as it raised
its neck out of the water when it swam by."

"You think you could, my boy; but a great deal of it must have been
under water, and your representation would be open to doubt."

"Humph! What was it like, youngster?" said the skipper gruffly.

"Just the same shape as a swan," said Rodd, with something like a
shudder, "only enormously, big; but instead of having wings and feet it
was just as if it had four great paddles."

"That's right," grunted the skipper; "just like what I see about ten
years ago in the Indian seas. I didn't see enough of this one to be
able to tell."

"Well," said the doctor gravely, "I for a long time have been of opinion
that the reports that reach us from time to time about the sea-serpent
must have some truth in them, though they have doubtless been greatly
exaggerated."

"Don't hear of many reports now, sir," said Captain Chubb. "We
sea-going people have been laughed at too much."

"Yes, I know," said the doctor, "and I have thought over these matters a
great deal, and fully believe that we have a great many things to
discover, both at sea and on land, quite as wonderful as the so-called
sea-serpent. There's plenty of room, and I see no reason to doubt that
there are great fish--"

"