"That's your first guess--try another," said the eel, sticking his face up into Billy's. "I don't guess it, I know it," answered Billy, striving to keep his courage up. "No, is the right answer," said the Sea Urchin. "Why shouldn't I go ashore?" "Just because," replied the Eel, "oh! gracious what a sad world it is--here's a boy that thinks he knows." "But how are you going to prevent it?" said Billy. "I'm not afraid of you." "We will prevent it this way," said Ne'er Do Eel, winding his tail around Billy's legs. "And this way," said the Sea Urchin, pricking a hole in Billy's suit with one of his bristles. Poor Billy felt himself getting thinner and thinner as the air bubbled out of the suit. And while he knew that he could swim and so keep afloat a while longer, he was well aware that in a very few minutes all would be over and he would go down, down, down to the bottom of the sea. Barker seemed to know it too, for he whined piteously. "Now tell me that there is not just one more fish in the sea that never was caught," said Ne'er Do Eel triumphantly. Billy didn't answer, for he knew that he must save his breath. But when he saw a plank floating just within reach he could not resist a feeble "Hurrah." It required but a second for him to throw his arms over it and cling on for dear life. "That's what comes of having planked white fish for dinner," said Ne'er Do Eel. The Sea Urchin, seeing what Billy had done, swam madly about trying to find another opportunity for stinging him with his bristles, but was unable to make any impression through his wet clothes. Ne'er Do Eel thrashed the water into a perfect foam in his efforts to drag Billy and the plank down, but barring giving Billy an occasional ducking and making Barker yelp with fright he could do nothing. Suddenly Billy felt the plank sink deeper into the water so that his chin was barely above the surface. At the same moment a voice said "Umberufen." And there balancing himself on the plank stood Umberufen. "Get off, you're sinking us!" cried Billy. "You called me," said Umberufen. "I didn't." "You touched wood and I'm sure it's very inconsiderate of you to call me way out here to sea." "I don't want you," said Billy. "Then you shouldn't have called me. Goodness knows I'm not here because I want to be--I can feel myself warping already." "Do go away," said Billy; "can't you see it's all I can do to keep afloat?" "I'll help you," said Umberufen. "How?" [Illustration: _"Get off, you're sinking us," cried Billy._--Page 134.] "I don't know. Who is your friend with a face like a hair-brush?" "That's Sea Urchin, and he is trying to drown me." "You must not do that, you know," said Umberufen, "it's very wrong." Then turning to Billy he whispered, "Leave him to me; I'll give him a good talking to." "That's all you can do," said Billy desperately--"talk, talk, talk! I don't want words, I want help."