fibrous sutures of the skull, they
remained fixed; so that neither bird nor fish--equally desirous of
undoing the irksome yoke--was able to put an end to the partnership!

Snowball gave them a divorce, as effectual as could have been obtained
in the court, ever to be noted as that of Sir Cresswell Cresswell.

The process was brief,--the execution following quick upon the judgment;
though the sentences pronounced upon the criminals were not exactly the
same.

The fish was knocked on the head; while a different, though equally
expeditious, mode of punishment was executed upon the bird. Its head
was twisted from its body!

Thus, somewhat after the fashion of Kilkenny cats, perished two tyrants
of the sea. Let us hope that the tyrants of the land may all receive an
analogous compensation for their crimes!

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE.

GLOOMY PROSPECTS.

The reappearance of the sword-fish,--if it was the same that had already
paid them a visit,--or more likely the discovery and pursuit of the
"school" of flying-fish,--had caused the albacores to decamp from the
neighbourhood of the _Catamaran_; so that with the exception of that
taken from the talons of the frigate-bird, not one was any longer to be
seen.

Once recovered from the excitement, caused by the singular accident that
happened to the _Catamaran_,--as well as the other incident almost as
singular,--her crew made an inspection of their craft, to see if any
damage had accrued from the shock.

Fortunately there was none. The piercing of the plank, in which the
bony rostrum remained firmly imbedded, was of no consequence whatever;
and, although several feet of the "sword,"--the whole of the blade, in
fact, excepting that which protruded above,--could be perceived jutting
out underneath, they made no attempt to "extract" it: since it could not
greatly interfere with the sailing qualities of the _Catamaran_.

The plank itself had been started slightly out of place aid one or two
other timbers loosened. But in such able hands as those of Snowball and
the sailor, these trifling damages were soon made good again.

The two baited hooks were once more dropped into the water, but the sun
went down over the ocean without either of them receiving a nibble. No
albacore,--no fish whatever,--no bird,--no living creature of any
kind,--was in sight at the setting of that sun; which, slowly
descending, as it were, into the silent depths of the ocean, left them
in the pu