ade! That plank be
five inches thick, at the very least, an' you see he's stuck his snout
through it more'n a foot! Lor 'a mercy on us! What wonderful queery
creeturs the ocean do contain!"

And with this philosophic reflection, from the lips of the
man-o'-war's-man, ended the adventure.

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO.

AN AWKWARD GRIP.

To the two oldest of the _Catamaran's_ crew the curious circumstances of
the sword-fish thrusting his rostrum through the raft, and snapping it
asunder, needed no explanation. Both knew that it was not with an
intention of attacking the _Catamaran_ that the "stab" had been given;
nor was the act a voluntary one, in any way.

Not likely, indeed; since it had proved fatal to the swordsman himself.
No one doubted his having gone dead to the bottom of the sea: for the
bony "blade" was found to have been broken close to the "hilt," and it
was not possible the owner could exist without this important weapon.
Even supposing that the fearful "fracture" had not killed him outright,
the loss of his long rapier, the only tool by which he could obtain his
living, would be sure to shorten his lease of life, and the final moment
could not be long delayed.

But neither sailor nor ex-sea-cook had any doubt of the fish having
committed suicide, no more than that the act was involuntary.

The explanation given by Ben Brace to his _protege_ was simple, as it
was also rational. The sword-fish had been charging into a shoal of
albacores. Partly blinded by the velocity of its impetuous rush, and
partly by its instinct of extreme voracity,--perhaps amounting to a
passion, it had seen nothing of the raft until its long weapon struck
the plank, piercing the latter through and through. Unable to withdraw
its rostrum from the fibrous wood, the fish had instantly inaugurated
that series of struggles, and continued them, until the crash came,
caused, no doubt, by the upheaved raft lurching suddenly down in a
direction transverse to its snout.

Only a part of this explanatory information was extended to little
William: for only a part was required. From some previous talk that had
occurred on the same subject, he was already acquainted with a few of
the facts relating to this foolish fencing on the part of the
sword-fish.

Nor was there at that moment any explanation either offered or asked;
for, as soon as the _Catamaran_ had settled into her proper position,
and Snowball had got aboard, the eyes of her