Page 293 - Adventures in shadow-land

Far away In the offing a whale sent up an enor­
mous jet, a sea-gull screamed wildly above their
heads.

“ Going to say anything1 about this?’* said Job

at last,
“ What would be the use?” said Master Torrey,
sharply. “ Half of them would not believe you;

and who wants to set all the fools in the place

chattering?”
*i Not I j I'm not over*fond of answering ques­
tions. Td rather ask 'em ," said Job. “ Do you

know, putting this and that together, and the

story of the queer fish that hung round the ship.
I ’ve got a notion that poor fishy thing fell in love
with that figger-head of ourn? You couldn’t ex­

pect such a critter as he was to have more sense

than a landsman, and I expect the log fell on him
when the brig went to pieces and killed him ,"
“ So much the better for him if he had given

his soul to a wooden image," said Master Torrey,
bitterly. “ Good-night;” and he left Job and

walked slowly back to his handsome new house.
Job looked after him wistfully. Just then old

Ichabod came up and saluted the wood-carver.