'
But when I was younger, at Pictou once, I saw the fine folks ducking
themselves in flannel sarks, at what they called a 'bathing-place,' so
the first thing I thought of was that it was something like that. And
then I stood here, jist about where you are now, and the woman in the
water she saw me--"
"Now, how do you know it was a woman?" asked Caius.
"Well, I didn't know for certain that day anything, for she was a good
way off, near the island, and she no sooner saw me than she turned and
made tracks for the back of the island where I couldn't see her. But I
tell you this, young sir, no woman or man either ever swam as she swam.
Have you seen a trout in a quiet pool wag its tail and go right
ahead--_how_, you didn't know; you only knew that 'twasn't in the one
place and 'twas in t'other?"
Caius nodded.
"Well," asked the old man with triumph in his voice, as one who capped
an argument, "did you ever see man or woman swim like that?"
"No," Caius admitted, "I never did--especially as to the wagging of the
tail."
"But she _hadn't_ a tail!" put in the old man eagerly, "for I saw her
the second day--that I'm coming to. She was more like a seal or walrus."
"But what became of her the first day?" asked Caius, with scientific
exactitude.
"Why, the end of her the first day was that she went behind the island.
Can you see behind the island? No.
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