from catching one of them."

"Did you ever see any harm come?" innocently asked Walter, who had come
forward to look at the bird.

"As to that, youngster, it's not to every question you will get an
answer," growled the boatswain, turning away. Walter, though liked by
most on board, was not a favourite of the surly boatswain, who, for his
own reasons, objected to have the keen eyes of the sharp-witted boy
observing his proceedings.

Walter, begging Hulk to stretch out the bird's wings, went to bring
Alice to look at it. He told her what the boatswain had said about the
ill-luck which would pursue those who killed an albatross.

"Depend on it, God would not allow what He has ordained to be interfered
with by any such occurrence," observed the captain to his children. "It
may be a cruel act to kill a bird without any reason; but though persons
who have caught or shot albatrosses may afterwards have met with
accidents, it does not at all follow that such is the result of their
former acts. I have seen many albatrosses killed, and the people who
killed them have returned home in safety; though possibly accidents may
have occurred in other instances to those who have killed one of the
birds. Still seamen have got the notion into their heads, and it is
very hard to drive it out."

"I am sure of that," said Walter, "though the boatswain was quite angry
with me for doubting what he asserted."

While he was speaking, another large albatross came sweeping by.

"For my part, I am not afraid of catching a second," exclaimed Hulk;
"and if there is ill-luck in killing one, there may be good luck in
catching two." Saying this, he prepared his hook and line, and was
ascending to the yard to let it tow overboard as before.

"It will be a good thing for you if you do catch two," exclaimed the
boatswain. "We want good luck for the ship, for little enough of it we
have had as yet." But before Hulk could get out his line the albatross
was seen to swoop downwards, and immediately afterwards it rose with a
huge fish in its talons, into which it plunged its powerful beak with a
force which must have speedily put an end to its prey. Powerful,
however, as were its wings, it could not rise with so great a weight,
but commenced tearing away at the flesh of its victim as it floated on
the surface. It thus offered a fair mark to any who might wish to shoot
it. Three of the ship's muskets were brought up by some of the younger
off