in
into the water.

Not any of the _Catamaran's_ crew were ignorant of the character of
these objects. The silvery sheen of translucent wings, as they
glittered under the bright sunbeams, proclaimed the creatures to be a
"flock" of flying-fish, of which the albacores--of all their many
enemies the most dangerous--were now in pursuit.

There may have been several of the flying-fish that did not rise into
the air, but fell a prey to their pursuers under the water; and of those
that did succeed in springing above the surface there were two that
never came down again,--at least not in the shape of flying-fish.

The sea-hawks, wheeling above both pursuers and pursued, had been
watching their opportunity; and as the pretty creatures made their
appearance above water, both the birds swooped straight down among the
prinkling cohort, each selecting a victim. Both made a successful
swoop; for they were observed to turn and fly with a slant upwards, each
with a flying-fish in its beak.

One of them, the male bird, didn't appear to be satisfied with the hold
he had taken; for, with a sudden jerk of his head, he let go again,
pitched the prey several feet upward, and again as it came down took a
fresh "grip" upon it.

No doubt this was to his satisfaction, for almost in the same instant
that the flying-fish returned within the mandibles of his beak it
disappeared, wings and all, down that dark passage, where, no doubt,
many another of its kind had preceded it.

It was evident that neither of the birds considered one flying-fish
sufficient for a meal; for as soon as they had swallowed those already
taken, they again placed themselves in position for shooting down upon a
second victim.

And now the crew of the _Catamaran_ had the fortune to witness one of
those singular incidents that may sometimes be seen upon the ocean,--a
little drama of Nature, in which three of her creatures,--all three
differing in kind,--formed the _dramatis persona_.

The cock frigate-bird, on turning to look for a fresh victim, espied
one, or that which was likely to become one, almost directly beneath
him.

It was a single flying-fish, which by some chance,--perhaps from not
being either so fast a swimmer or so swift upon the wing as its
fellows,--had lagged behind the "school."

It was no longer playing laggard, and for a very good reason: since an
albacore, nearly full three feet in length, was swimming after it and
doing his very best to o