e
sword-fish with a degree of interest that almost caused them to forget
their own forlorn situation. Little William and Lilly Lalee were
especially delighted with the singular spectacle; and long after the
sailor and Snowball had turned their attention to other and more
necessary matters, the two stood side by side gazing out upon the ocean
in the direction in which the sea-swordsman had been seen.

We say _had been_ seen: for, after swallowing the brace of albacores,
the voracious monster had suddenly disappeared, either by diving deep
down into the sea, or shooting off to some distant point.

Little William and Lalee looked everywhere,--first astern, where the
swordsman had made the display of his skill; then on both sides; and,
finally, ahead. They looked in these different directions,--because,
from what they had already seen of its natative powers, they knew that
the great fish could pass in a few seconds through a hundred fathoms of
water, and therefore was as likely to be on one side as the other.

On no side, however, could the fish be seen; and, although both the
sailor-lad and Lalee would have been pleased to witness a little more of
that same sword exercise, they were at length forced to the conclusion
that the performance was over and the performer gone away,--perhaps, to
exhibit his prowess in some other quarter of the aquatic world.

"Berry like,--berry like he gone way," said Snowball, in reply to the
interrogatory of little William. "A good ting if dat am de fack; fo'
den we hab chance to hook up some o' dese hya abbacore. See dem now!
Doan' you see how berry different dey are behavin'. Dey no longer
'feerd. Dat am sign dat de long snout hab turn him nose in some oder
direcshun. He gone fo' sartin."

Sure enough the _behaviour_ of the albacores was very much altered, as
Snowball had affirmed. Instead of flashing about from one side of the
raft to the other, and exhibiting manifest symptoms of alarm, they now
swam placidly alongside, at a regular rate of speed, just keeping up
with the _Catamaran_.

They looked, moreover, as if they would now take the bait, which during
the presence of the sword-fish they had obstinately refused to touch,
though frequently flung, both by Snowball and the sailor, right under
their snouts.

Both were again preparing to repeat their angling operations; and in a
few seconds' time each had his hook ready, with a piece of shark-meat
temptingly attached to it, t