t you want, I would recommend
you to make an excursion to the water-spouts; the last one we had to do
with tossed you up a considerable height, perhaps the next will send you
higher, who knows, if you're at all reasonable or moderate in your
expectations!"

"Jack, my dear boy," said Peterkin, gravely, "you are really becoming too
fond of jesting. It's a thing I don't at all approve of, and if you
don't give it up, I fear that, for our mutual good, we shall have to
part."

"Well, then, Peterkin," replied Jack, with a smile, "what would you
have?"

"Have?" said Peterkin, "I would _have_ nothing. I didn't say I wanted to
_have_; I said that I wanted to _do_."

"By the by," said I, interrupting their conversation, "I am reminded by
this that we have not yet discovered the nature of yon curious appearance
that we saw near the water-spouts, on our journey round the island.
Perhaps it would be well to go for that purpose."

"Humph!" ejaculated Peterkin, "I know the nature of it well enough."

"What was it?" said I.

"It was of a _mysterious_ nature to be sure!" said he, with a wave of his
hand, while he rose from the log on which he had been sitting, and
buckled on his belt, into which he thrust his enormous club.

"Well then, let us away to the water-spouts," cried Jack, going up to the
bower for his bow and arrows; "and bring your spear, Peterkin. It may be
useful."

We now, having made up our minds to examine into this matter, sallied
forth eagerly in the direction of the water-spout rocks, which, as I have
before mentioned, were not far from our present place of abode. On
arriving there we hastened down to the edge of the rocks, and gazed over
into the sea, where we observed the pale-green object still distinctly
visible, moving its tail slowly to and fro in the water.

"Most remarkable!" said Jack.

"Exceedingly curious," said I.

"Beats everything!" said Peterkin.

"Now, Jack," he added, "you made such a poor figure in your last attempt
to stick that object, that I would advise you to let me try it. If it
has got a heart at all, I'll engage to send my spear right through the
core of it; if it hasn't got a heart, I'll send it through the spot where
its heart ought to be."

"Fire away, then, my boy," replied Jack with a laugh.

Peterkin immediately took the spear, poised it for a second or two above
his head, then darted it like an arrow into the sea. Down it went
straight into the centre of the g