nda shaking her head.

"Well," said John Dolittle slowly, "if I could never meet Long Arrow
face to face it would be the greatest disappointment in my whole life.
Not only that, but it would be a great loss to the knowledge of the
human race. For, from what you have told me of him, he knew more natural
science than all the rest of us put together; and if he has gone without
any one to write it down for him, so the world may be the better for
it, it would be a terrible thing. But you don't really think that he is
dead, do you?"

"What else can I think?" asked Miranda, bursting into tears, "when for
six whole months he has not been seen by flesh, fish or fowl."

THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER. BLIND TRAVEL

THIS news about Long Arrow made us all very sad. And I could see from
the silent dreamy way the Doctor took his tea that he was dreadfully
upset. Every once in a while he would stop eating altogether and sit
staring at the spots on the kitchen table-cloth as though his thoughts
were far away; till Dab-Dab, who was watching to see that he got a good
meal, would cough or rattle the pots in the sink.

I did my best to cheer him up by reminding him of all he had done for
Luke and his wife that afternoon. And when that didn't seem to work, I
went on talking about our preparations for the voyage.

"But you see, Stubbins," said he as we rose from the table and Dab-Dab
and Chee-Chee began to clear away, "I don't know where to go now. I feel
sort of lost since Miranda brought me this news. On this voyage I had
planned going to see Long Arrow. I had been looking forward to it for
a whole year. I felt he might help me in learning the language of the
shellfish--and perhaps in finding some way of getting to the bottom of
the sea. But now?--He's gone! And all his great knowledge has gone with
him."

Then he seemed to fall a-dreaming again.

"Just to think of it!" he murmured. "Long Arrow and I, two
students--Although I'd never met him, I felt as though I knew him quite
well. For, in his way--without any schooling--he has, all his life, been
trying to do the very things which I have tried to do in mine--And now
he's gone!--A whole world lay between us--And only a bird knew us both!"

We went back into the study, where Jip brought the Doctor his slippers
and his pipe. And after the pipe was lit and the smoke began to fill the
room the old man seemed to cheer up a little.

"But you will go on some voyage, Doctor, won't you?" I a