better; but still he
persevered, and kept trying all the remedies they suggested, and at last
he _was_ cured, and what do you think did it?"

"What?" inquired the children.

"Why, some one suggested putting his feet into hot mustard and water and
drinking gruel--and he tried it several times with no effect; and at
last he fortunately thought of reversing the process, so he put his feet
into some thick gruel, and drank a lot of mustard and water, and now
he's quite well, thanks. So don't you get discouraged if you don't find
the Dodo at once; but, as I said before, if one way doesn't succeed, try
another."

"Thanks!" said the children, "we'll remember."

Just then they found themselves before a kind of shed, built of coral,
which the fish entered, returning shortly afterwards leading three
curious-looking fishes by a simple sort of bridle.

"Here they are!" he announced; "you will find them quite docile. Just
mount them and see how you like their pace."

The children needed no second invitation, and were soon astride their
strange steeds.

With a whisk of their tails they were soon off, dashing through the
water at such a rate that the little thin fish had the greatest
difficulty in keeping up with them, even for a short distance.

"Oh! this is jolly!" cried Dick.

"Come on, Marjorie, let's have a race."

The Dolphins answered to the slightest pull at the reins, and the
children hadn't the least fear; so, getting into a line, they waited for
their friend the thin fish to come up and give them the signal to
start.

CHAPTER VII.

THE HUMAN RACE.

The little thin fish seemed to be a long while catching them up, and,
while they were waiting, Marjorie espied a curious figure poking about
among the seaweed a short distance away from them.

"I wonder what it is!" she cried, and the children dismounted from the
Dolphins, and, tying them by the reins to some coral stumps, so that
they could not swim away, they half walked and half swam over to where
Marjorie had first noticed the creature, whatever it was.

"Why, it's a man!" cried Dick, as they drew nearer, and could
distinguish him more clearly.

He was a wretched-looking old fellow, with a heavy sack upon his back,
and was clothed only in a ragged old garment, which scarcely reached to
his knees.

"Poor man," said Marjorie, in a whisper, "how unhappy he looks; perhaps
he has lost something."

The man glanced up nervously as the children approa