de, her sharp eyes detecting
what had escaped the observation of the mate. As she spoke, there rose
from the surface a creature with a long white polished piece of bone or
ivory at the end of its snout, which might be well likened to a sword,
and having two fish of considerable size spitted on it; at the same
moment two large frigate-birds were seen in the sky, flying rapidly down
to deprive the fish of its prey.

"That's a sword-fish," exclaimed the mate; "and we must try to get it
before those frigate-birds succeed in stealing the smaller fish from it.
Lower the sail, Nub; get out your oar and pull away. Starboard the
helm, Walter. That fellow will not dive as easily as he may expect to
do with those fish on his nose."

Nub pulled away with all his might, thus bringing the raft close up to
the spot where the sword-fish, which had run its pointed weapon, perhaps
unintentionally, through the fish, was struggling to get them off. The
mate stood with his harpoon ready; it flew from his hand, and was buried
deeply in the creature's body. In vain it tried to escape. The fish
impeded its progress; and, Nub coming to the mate's assistance, the
line, which had run out some way, was hauled in; after which Nub,
seizing the animal's snout, in spite of its struggles, held it fast, and
drew off the two fish, which he threw on the raft.

"Dere, we got dem safe, at all events. Dey make a good dinner for you,
Missie Alice," he exclaimed. "Now, Massa Walter, you take de spear and
stick it into de sword-fish's belly." Walter thrust in the weapon, and
in another instant the creature's struggles ceased, and it was hauled up
on the raft.

"Thank Heaven," said the mate. "We have now got food enough, if it will
last so long fresh, for two or three days; and could we but smoke it, we
should each of us enjoy two hearty meals a day for a week to come.
However, it may, at all events, keep for some time if dried in the sun.
Hoist the sail, Nub; Walter, do you steer, while the black and I cut up
the fish."

The frigate-birds, disappointed of their prey, had flown off, but were
hovering overhead ready to seize the entrails as they were thrown
overboard.

The fish hauled up on the raft was about ten feet long, of a
bluish-black above, and silvery white below, the skin being somewhat
rough.

"I have seen them much bigger than this one," observed the mate; "but
it's as well that we did not catch a much bigger fellow, for we should