off
others with the axe; but I finished it at last, and was pleased to find
that the animal followed me right down and plunged into the water. He
had not been down since I had made the wall of rock to keep the fish in,
and as soon as he was in, he dived and came out with one of the fish,
which he brought to land. "So now," thought I, "I shall know how to get
the fish when I want them--I shall bring you down, Nero." I may as well
here observe that Nero very soon obeyed orders as faithfully as a dog.
I had a little switch, and when he did wrong, I would give him a slight
tap on the nose. He would shake his head, show his teeth, and growl,
and then come fondly to me. As he used to follow me every day down to
the pool, I had to break him of going after the fish when I did not want
them taken, and this I accomplished. No one who had not witnessed it,
could imagine the affection and docility of this animal, and the love I
had for him. He was my companion and playmate during the day, and my
bedfellow at night. We were inseparable.

It was at the latter portion of the second year of my solitude that a
circumstance occurred, that I must now relate. Nero had gone down to
the pool with me, and I was standing fishing off the rocks, when he came
out of the pool and plunged into the sea, playing all sorts of gambols,
and whistling with delight. I did not think anything about it. He
plunged and disappeared for a few minutes, and then would come up again
close to where my line was; but he disturbed the fish, and I could not
catch any. To drive him further off, I pelted him with pieces of rock,
one of which hit him very hard, and he dived down. After a time I
pulled up my line, and whistling to him to return, although I did not
see him, I went away to the cabin, fully expecting that he would soon
follow me, for now he could walk (after his fashion) from the cabin to
the pool as he pleased. This was early in the morning, and I busied
myself with my garden, which was now in great luxuriance, for I had
dressed it with guano; but observing about noon that he had not
returned, I became uneasy, and went down to the pool to look for him.
He was not there, and I looked on the sea, but could not perceive him
anywhere. I called and whistled, but it was of no use, and I grew very
much alarmed at the idea that my treasure had deserted me. "It could
not be because I threw the pieces of rock at him," thought I; "he would
not leave me