Oh, she was so fair to see, with her golden hair
flying back in the breeze, eyes blue as the sky, and her sweet, dimpled
face full of smiles!

She would come running up to the tank with a great show of courage,
crying bravely: "Hi, old Mister Dolly! I'se goin' a-put your great eye
out!" But when the eye half-looked at her, off she would scud, and all I
could see was a mass of flying yellow hair, a whisking of snowy skirts,
and my little nymph was gone.

[Illustration: "ONE CUTE LITTLE NYMPH OF A GIRL WAS CRAZY TO GET NEAR
ME"]

A dozen times a day she would appear, and as long as I remained under
water, she would hover near. There was a railing around the tank, which
was sunk in, lower than the deck, so she could not fall in, nor could I
possibly get out, but as soon as my head began rearing above the water,
scoot! little Amy was missing.

We had no hard storm while steaming over the bright Mediterranean. But
one day the little man, whose name was Roland, said to wee Amy:

"Clear day, isn't it?"

And Amy replied, woman-fashion, "Yes, booful day, but what sood you do
if there comed a big storm, and we all went ricketty, rockerty, and
couldn't stand up single minute? Wouldn't you be 'fraid?"

"N-o," said Roland, speaking slowly and thoughtfully, "I don't think I
should be much afraid, but I should want to keep quiet and think. What
should you do?" and he smiled.

"Oh, me would say my prayers, and keep a-sayin' them," said the child,
soberly, then she added, "and up would go my prayers into the sky, and
so I needn't be frightened a bit."

Now I don't know in the least what "prayers" mean, but I remembered at
once what that other child had done in the storm, and it made me think
that the Friend the other little girl trusted lives up in the sky, and
can hear when Folks tell that they need help. How lovely! Really, Folks
ought to be very thankful for all they know!

CHAPTER IX.

LORD DOLPHIN ON LAND

Well, we sailed and we sailed, but it was poor sailing for me, and every
hour I longed to make a monster jump, clear the railing, and splash into
the splendid bed beneath the cooped-up tank.

But Folks know how to make things strong and secure, and once or twice,
when I tried leaping, it was only to bang my sides against the edges of
the tank, and spatter the deck far and wide, making extra work for the
sailors.

After a time, we ran through what Jack called "the Strait of Gibraltar,"
and were in the