d and fixed, pools of bottomless blackness,
staring at me through two varas of clear, swaying water. I
took an uncertain step backwards, and as I did so I felt
something soft and heavy laid slowly and slimily upon my
shoulder....

Ah me, here is an interruption! A native child approaches,
bearing as an offering a Lol Ipop (one of the native fruits).
Just before he reaches me he falls face down, doubtless out
of respect for my gray hairs, and, on arising, proffers me
the Lol Ipop, now coated with sand. In this state I am
expected to eat it, and, being in great awe and fear of the
inhabitants, I proceed to do so, which incapacitates me for
further epistolatory effort.

So, till I recover from the effects of my enforced meal,
believe me your devoted correspondent,

THE BOTTLE MAN.

"Well, of all mean tricks!" Jerry said.

"It's worse than a continued story," I said. "Bother the horrid
native child! Do you suppose that's really why he stopped?"

"Probably not; he knew it was the excitingest place to stop. What
did I tell you about his being ancient? Now he _says_ he has gray
hairs, so that proves it."

"I should think he might," I said, "after such experiences. What do
you think it could have been that stared at him?"

"An octopus, most likely," Jerry said. "They have goggly black eyes;
I've read it."

"But he said he'd never seen such eyes on any sea beast he knew of,
and he's read as much as you have; that's sure."

"That treasure! Oh, my eye!" Jerry sighed. "Do you suppose he
brought home hunks of it?"

"Just the same hunks that we dig up on Wecanicut, I suppose," I
said.

"You mean you think he's making up the whole yarn?" Jerry asked.
"Well, even if he is, it's a mighty good one, and it might have
happened to him, at that."

Greg looked up suddenly from beside me, and said:

"_I_ think the thing what stared at him was a mer-person."

"My child," said Jerry, "I believe you're right."

CHAPTER VI

Next day Jerry was well enough to walk around with a cane, and when
he'd broken Father's second-best malacca stick by vaulting over the
box border with it, we decided that he was quite all right, and the
summer went on again as usual. Of course we wrote to the Bottle Man
at once, and told him, as respectfully as we could, just what we
thought of him for letting the native child interrupt him in such an
exciting part. We also begged him to write again as soon as
p