"Hullo!" cried Dick. "What a jolly long while you have been catching us up. Wherever have you been to all this time?" "Why," explained the fish, "I thought I heard you saying something about a race, and suddenly I remembered what a splendid opportunity your visit down here would afford us of witnessing a real human race--you are human, aren't you?" he asked, anxiously. "Yes, I suppose so," replied Dick. "That's right," said the fish. "Come on, the King is most anxious for the race to begin at once, and I promised to bring you back with me immediately." "But what _is_ a human race?" inquired Marjorie, as they mounted their Dolphins. "Oh, you'll see when we get back," was the reply, and, the little fish hanging on to one of the Dolphins' tails they were soon flying through the water at a rare rate. When they got back to the lawn by the King's Palace, the children were greatly astonished to see a big crowd of fishes drawn up in two lines, with a wide path between them. The King, on a shell throne, surrounded by his courtiers, was at one end, and several important-looking fishes were fussing about at the other, making a straight line with some little lumps of white chalk. There was a cheer when the children arrived on their Dolphins, and a rush was made to assist them to alight. "But what are we to do?" they inquired, rather dismayed at these elaborate preparations. "Show us a human race," was the reply. "Well, a human race is just like any other kind of race, I suppose," said Dick, "the one who reaches the goal first wins. If we are going to race, though, we shall have to be handicapped." "What's that?" cried the fishes. "Why, you see," explained Dick, "it wouldn't be fair for us all to start from the same line, for Fidge, of course, cannot run as quickly as Marjorie or me; and Marjorie, too, being only a girl, will have to have a start allowed her, and this is called handicapping." "Very well, manage it your own way," was the reply. "When are you going to start?" "Oh, as soon as you like," said Dick. "Where's the winning-post?" "That white line up by the King's throne," said one of the fishes. And Dick, having given Fidge a very long start, and Marjorie a slight advantage, declared himself ready to begin. "One, to make ready, Two, to be steady, Three, and--away!" shouted one of the principal fishes, and off they scrambled. I say scrambled, because if you have ever tried to run under water you will know that it is a very difficult thing to do--the weight of the water prevents you from getting along at all quickly. The fishes watching the race became very excited, and, in their eagerness to urge them on, kept getting in the children's way, swimming about in front of them, and getting mixed up with their arms and legs in a most confusing manner. At length, however, this extraordinary race came to an end, and the children arrived at the winning-post in the same order in which they had started.