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"No," replied Trot soberly, "I'm sure he does not expect us to be happy here. But

I'm going to fool him and have just as good a time as I can." As she spoke they

both turned around--an easy thing to do with a single flop of their flexible tails--

and Cap'n Bill uttered a cry of surprise. Just across the room stood a perfect

duplicate of himself. The round head, with its bald top and scraggly whiskers, the

sailor cap and shirt, the wide pantaloons, even the wooden leg, each and every

one were exact copies of those owned by Cap'n Bill. Even the expression in the

light-blue eyes was the same, and it is no wonder the old sailor stared at his

"double" in amazement. But the next minute he laughed and said, "Why, Trot, it's

ME reflected in a mirror. But at first I thought it was someone else."

Trot was staring, too. "Look, Cap'n!" she whispered. "Look at the wooden leg."

Well, it's MY wooden leg, ain't it?" he inquired.

"If it is, it can't be a reflection in a mirror," she argued, "for YOU haven't got a

wooden leg. You've got a fish's tail."

The old sailor was so startled by this truth that he gave a great flop with his tail

that upset his balance and made him keel a somersault in the water before he got

right side up again. Then he found the other sailor man laughing at him and was

horrified to find the "reflection" advancing toward them by stumping along on its

wooden leg. "Keep away! Get out, there!" yelled Cap'n Bill. "You're a ghost, the

ghost o' me that once was, an' I can't bear the sight o' you. Git out!"

Did you ring jes' to tell me to git out?" asked the other in a mild voice.

I--I didn't ring," declared Cap'n Bill.

You did. You pulled that bell cord," said the one-legged (one or more lines

missing here in this edition)

Oh, did pullin' that thing ring a bell?" inquired the Cap'n, a little ashamed of his

ignorance and reassured by hearing the "ghost" talk.

"It surely did," was the reply, "and Sacho told me to answer your bell and look

after you. So I'm a-lookin' after you."

I wish you wouldn't," protested Cap'n Bill. "I've no use fer--fer ghostses, anyhow."

The strange sailor began to chuckle at hearing this, and his chuckle was just like

Cap'n Bill's chuckle, so full of merry humor that it usually made everyone laugh

with him.

Who are you?" asked Trot, who was very curious and much surprised.

The Sea Fairies