This warn't a fish," growled the skipper.

"Reptiles, then," grunted Uncle Paul, "which as a rule dwell far down in
the depths of ocean, and which only occasionally seek, or are forced up
to, the surface."

"Forced up, uncle? What could force up a great thing like that?"

"You ask that, Rodd? Why, what forces a fish up sometimes, to float
upside down on the surface?"

"Oh yes, I know," replied Rodd; "something wrong with its swimming
bladder."

"Exactly; and I should say such a creature as you saw would in its
natural state be always living deep down in the ocean."

"'Cept when he comes up to feed," growled Captain Chubb. "This 'ere one
was hard at work in that shoal of fish."

"I don't see that that interferes with my argument, Captain Chubb," said
the doctor; "but what I was going on to say was this. There was a time
in the history of this earth, when just such creatures as my nephew here
described used to be plentiful."

"How long ago?" asked the skipper.

"Ah, that's more than any one of us can say; but I have seen their
remains turned to stone, laid bare in a stone quarry--that is to say,
their skeletons, which show pretty well what must have been their shape;
and if they existed once there is no reason why some of their
descendants, though very rarely seen, may not still survive, though I am
half afraid that my nephew here must have some half-forgotten lingering
memories of one of these creatures that he has seen in some geological
work, and upon seeing that fish or reptile let his imagination run riot
and finished it off by memory."

Rodd shook his head.

"I saw it plainly enough, uncle."

And the skipper gave his head a sapient nod, while the doctor shook his.

"What were you going to say, Captain Chubb?"

"Only this 'ere, sir. I have 'eard more argufying and quarrelling about
sea-sarpints than about almost anything else. I say sarpints, but I
mean these things, and I say this. It will never be settled properly
till one of 'em is caught--which aren't likely--or one of them is cast
ashore so as everybody can see fair and square. I believe in 'em, and
I've good reason to."

"So do I, uncle," cried Rodd.

"Well," said Uncle Paul, "I have for a long time had my doubts, and now
I am no longer a sceptic."

He looked very hard at the skipper as he spoke, and feeling that he was
called upon to answer, the sturdy captain shook his head and brought his
big hand down heavily upon the cabin tab