the wonderful find. Before the boy left for Santa Catalina
that evening he found his name in all the afternoon papers as being one
of the men who had "caught the sea-serpent." As this was the first
specimen in perfect preservation that had reached any city of the United
States and, indeed, only the sixth ever reported from American shores, a
great deal of interest was excited, and Colin was compelled to give an
interview to a reporter, telling the story of the capture. He was sorry
that his brother--to whom he had sent the blue fox--was not with the
rest of the family in Santa Catalina, so that he could tell him all
about it, but the younger lad was at a boys' camp.

Making a stay of only a couple of hours in Los Angeles, the boy went
from there straight to San Pedro, where he took the steamer for Avalon,
the only large town on Santa Catalina, and the most famous place in the
entire world for taking big game fish with rod and reel.

The passage was only of two hours' duration, and the weather ideal. The
water of the channel was like a mirror, but the daily breeze sprang up
at eleven o'clock, its accustomed hour.

Although no more attentive to scenery than most boys of his age, Colin
fairly cried aloud with admiration as the steamer rounded the point and
turned into Avalon Bay. Almost a perfect semicircle, the beach of
glistening white sand enclosed a basin of turquoise sea in which were
reflected the dark, rich tones of the cliffs, all glowing like an opal
beneath the sun, while above rose the hills covered with the wild lilac
and greasewood of California. Even the tame sea-lions which frequent the
harbor and follow incoming boats, and which frequently are to be seen
hauled up on small fishing-craft, seemed to fit wonderfully into the
scene. A passenger who heard the boy's exclamation of delight, turned to
him.

"That's the way I feel about it," he said. "I think it more beautiful
every time I come."

"It makes me think of an abalone shell," Colin remarked thoughtfully,
"before the outside is polished; the bay looks just like the glow of the
shell inside and the sand-hills resemble the rough outside of the shell,
with barnacles growing on it."

"Perhaps that is why it is called Avalon?" his companion said; "abalone,
Avalon--it's not improbable, though I never heard such a derivation
before; the Vale of Avalon in Pennsylvania is supposed to have been the
prime factor in giving the name. But it's a wonderful place i