the bait, which was skipping over the surface of the
water.

"No, he's off," cried Mr Markham in despair.

"Cotched! or I'm a Dutchman!" shouted. Gurney.

"No!" cried Jim Scroggles.

"Yes!" screamed Ailie.

"Hurrah!" shouted Tim Rokens and Tarquin in a breath.

Dick Barnes, and the doctor, and the captain, and, in short, everybody,
echoed the last sentiment, and repeated it again and again with delight
as they saw the gigantic bird once again swoop down upon the bait and
seize it.

Glynn gave a jerk, the hook caught in its tongue, and the albatross
began to tug, and swoop, and whirl madly in its effort to escape.

Now, to talk of any ordinary bird swooping, and fluttering, and tugging,
does not sound very tremendous; but, reader, had you witnessed the
manner in which that enormous albatross conducted itself, you wouldn't
have stared with amazement--oh, no! You wouldn't have gone home with
your mouth as wide open as your eyes, and have given a gasping account
of what you had seen--by no means! You wouldn't have talked of
feathered steam-engines, or of fabled rocs, or of winged elephants in
the air--certainly not!

Glynn's arms jerked as if he were holding on to the sheet of a shifting
mainsail of a seventy-four.

"Bear a hand," he cried, "else I'll be torn to bits."

Several hands grasped the line in a moment.

"My! wot a wopper," exclaimed Tim Rokens.

"Och! don't he pull? Wot a fortin he'd make av he'd only set his-self
up as a tug-boat in the Thames!"

"If only we had him at the oar for a week," added Gurney.

"Hoich! doctor, have ye strength to set disjointed limbs?"

"Have a care, lads," cried the captain, in some anxiety; "give him more
play, the line won't stand it. Time enough to jest after we've got
him."

The bird was now swooping, and waving, and beating its great wings so
close to the boat that they began to entertain some apprehension lest
any of the crew should be disabled by a stroke from them before the bird
could be secured. Glynn, therefore, left the management of the line to
others, and, taking up an oar, tried to strike it. But he failed in
several attempts.

"Wait till we haul him nearer, boy," said the captain. "Now, then!"

Glynn struck again, and succeeded in hitting it a slight blow. At the
same instant the albatross swept over the boat, and almost knocked the
doctor overboard. As it brushed past, King Bumble, who was gifted with
the agility of a monkey, leaped