ing about two pounds. This
cheered her considerably and she hurried to scrape together a heap of
seaweed, while Cap'n Bill cut up the fish with his jackknife and got it
ready for cooking.

They had cooked fish with seaweed before. Cap'n Bill wrapped his fish
in some of the weed and dipped it in the water to dampen it. Then he
lighted a match and set fire to Trot's heap, which speedily burned down
to a glowing bed of ashes. Then they laid the wrapped fish on the
ashes, covered it with more seaweed, and allowed this to catch fire and
burn to embers. After feeding the fire with seaweed for some time, the
sailor finally decided that their supper was ready, so he scattered the
ashes and drew out the bits of fish, still encased in their smoking
wrappings.

When these wrappings were removed, the fish was found thoroughly cooked
and both Trot and Cap'n Bill ate of it freely. It had a slight flavor
of seaweed and would have been better with a sprinkling of salt.

The soft glow which until now had lighted the cavern, began to grow
dim, but there was a great quantity of seaweed in the place, so after
they had eaten their fish they kept the fire alive for a time by giving
it a handful of fuel now and then.

From an inner pocket the sailor drew a small flask of battered metal
and unscrewing the cap handed it to Trot. She took but one swallow of
the water although she wanted more, and she noticed that Cap'n Bill
merely wet his lips with it.

"S'pose," said she, staring at the glowing seaweed fire and speaking
slowly, "that we can catch all the fish we need; how 'bout the
drinking-water, Cap'n?"

He moved uneasily but did not reply. Both of them were thinking about
the dark hole, but while Trot had little fear of it the old man could
not overcome his dislike to enter the place. He knew that Trot was
right, though. To remain in the cavern, where they now were, could only
result in slow but sure death.

It was nighttime up on the earth's surface, so the little girl became
drowsy and soon fell asleep. After a time the old sailor slumbered on
the sands beside her. It was very still and nothing disturbed them for
hours. When at last they awoke the cavern was light again.

They had divided one of the biscuits and were munching it for breakfast
when they were startled by a sudden splash in the pool. Looking toward
it they saw emerging from the water the most curious creature either of
them had ever beheld. It wasn't a fish, Trot d