"Doesn't he object?" said Dick, after they had watched this performance for some time; "I know I should." "Oh, dear, no!" exclaimed their guide, "he enjoys it quite as much as the others do. You see, it's such a delightful sensation to be shot through the water without the effort of swimming; but, come along, we must be off if you are going to start to-day." "There's one little piece of advice I should like to give you in your search for the Dodo," he continued, kindly, as they swam along. "If you don't succeed in catching him one way, try another. Remember the bear with a cold." [Illustration: "And now he's quite well, thanks."] "What do you mean?" asked the children. "Don't you know the story of the bear with a cold?" was the reply. "No; do tell us!" they cried. [Illustration: "Come on, Marjorie, let's have a race."] "Why, you see," said the fish, "there was once an old bear, who had a dreadful cold, and his friends all advised him to try different things to cure it. One said one thing, and one another, and although he tried them all, one after the other, he didn't get any better; but still he persevered, and kept trying all the remedies they suggested, and at last he _was_ cured, and what do you think did it?" "What?" inquired the children. "Why, some one suggested putting his feet into hot mustard and water and drinking gruel--and he tried it several times with no effect; and at last he fortunately thought of reversing the process, so he put his feet into some thick gruel, and drank a lot of mustard and water, and now he's quite well, thanks. So don't you get discouraged if you don't find the Dodo at once; but, as I said before, if one way doesn't succeed, try another." "Thanks!" said the children, "we'll remember." Just then they found themselves before a kind of shed, built of coral, which the fish entered, returning shortly afterwards leading three curious-looking fishes by a simple sort of bridle. "Here they are!" he announced; "you will find them quite docile. Just mount them and see how you like their pace." The children needed no second invitation, and were soon astride their strange steeds. With a whisk of their tails they were soon off, dashing through the water at such a rate that the little thin fish had the greatest difficulty in keeping up with them, even for a short distance. "Oh! this is jolly!" cried Dick. "Come on, Marjorie, let's have a race." The Dolphins answered to the slightest pull at the reins, and the children hadn't the least fear; so, getting into a line, they waited for their friend the thin fish to come up and give them the signal to start. CHAPTER VII. THE HUMAN RACE. The little thin fish seemed to be a long while catching them up, and, while they were waiting, Marjorie espied a curious figure poking about among the seaweed a short distance away from them.