In these lower levels we often came upon the shadowy shapes of deadships, wrecked and sunk Heaven only knows how many years ago; andpassing them we would speak in hushed whispers like children seeingmonuments in churches.
Here too, in the deeper, darker waters, monstrous fishes, feedingquietly in caves and hollows would suddenly spring up, alarmed at ourapproach, and flash away into the gloom with the speed of an arrow.While other bolder ones, all sorts of unearthly shapes and colors,would come right up and peer in at us through the shell.
“I suppose they think we are a sort of sanaquarium,” said Bumpo—“I’dhate to be a fish.”
It was a thrilling and ever-changing show. The Doctor wrote or sketchedincessantly. Before long we had filled all the blank note-books we hadleft. Then we searched our pockets for any odd scraps of paper on whichto jot down still more observations. We even went through the usedbooks a second time, writing in between the lines, scribbling all overthe covers, back and front.
Our greatest difficulty was getting enough light to see by. In thelower waters it was very dim. On the third day we passed a band offire-eels, a sort of large, marine glow-worm; and the Doctor asked thesnail to get them to come with us for a way. This they did, swimmingalongside; and their light was very helpful, though not brilliant.
How our giant shellfish found his way across that vast and gloomyworld was a great puzzle to us. John Dolittle asked him by what meanshe navigated—how he knew he was on the right road to Puddleby River.And what the snail said in reply got the Doctor so excited, that havingno paper left, he tore out the lining of his precious hat and coveredit with notes.
By night of course it was impossible to see anything; and during thehours of darkness the snail used to swim instead of crawl. When he didso he could travel at a terrific speed, just by waggling that long tailof his. This was the reason why we completed the trip in so short atime—five and a half days.
The air of our chamber, not having a change in the whole voyage, gotvery close and stuffy; and for the first two days we all had headaches.But after that we got used to it and didn’t mind it in the least.
Early in the afternoon of the sixth day, we noticed we were climbing along gentle slope. As we went upward it grew lighter. Finally we sawthat the snail had crawled right out of the water altogether and hadnow come to a dead stop on a long strip of gray sand.
Behind us we saw the surface of the sea rippled by the wind. On ourleft was the mouth of a river with the tide running out. While infront, the low flat land stretched away into the mist—which preventedone from seeing very far in any direction. A pair of wild ducks withcraning necks and whirring wings passed over us and disappeared likeshadows, seaward.
As a landscape, it was a great change from the hot brilliant sunshineof Popsipetel.
With the same whistling suction sound, the snail made the opening forus to crawl out by. As we stepped down upon the marshy land we noticedthat a fine, drizzling autumn rain was falling.
“Can this be Merrie England?” asked Bumpo, peering into thefog—“doesn’t look like any place in particular. Maybe the snail hasn’tbrought us right after all.”
“Yes,” sighed Polynesia, shaking the rain off her feathers, “this isEngland all right—You can tell it by the beastly climate.”
“Oh, but fellows,” cried Jip, as he sniffed up the air in great gulps,“it has a _smell_—a good and glorious smell!—Excuse me a minute: I seea water-rat.”
“Sh!—Listen!” said Chee-Chee through teeth that chattered with thecold. “There’s Puddleby church-clock striking four. Why don’t we divideup the baggage and get moving. We’ve got a long way to foot it homeacross the marshes.”
“Let’s hope,” I put in, “that Dab-Dab has a nice fire burning in thekitchen.”
“I’m sure she will,” said the Doctor as he picked out his old handbagfrom among the bundles—“With this wind from the East she’ll need it tokeep the animals in the house warm. Come on. Let’s hug the river-bankso we don’t miss our way in the fog. You know, there’s something ratherattractive in the bad weather of England—when you’ve got a kitchen-fireto look forward to.... Four o’clock! Come along—we’ll just be in nicetime for tea.”
THE END]
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes:
Varied hyphenation retained. Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 20, “he” changed to “be” (Don’t be alarmed)
Page 135, “shellflsh” changed to “shellfish” (of the shellfish)
Page 137, “way” changed to “may” (come what may)
Page 188, Part Four, _THE FIRST CHAPTER_ made italic to match rest ofusage.
Page 218, “is” changed to “it” (where it is)
Page 249, “musn’t” changed to “mustn’t” (that he musn’t give)
Page 324, “Polnesia” changed to “Polynesia” (whispered Polynesia)
Page 347, “thoroughy” changed to “thoroughly” (thoroughly interested in)
Page 357, “Poynesia” changed to “Polynesia” (said Polynesia—“that’smore)
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