“Sea-anemone.” Dick laughed. “I sea-anemone; what do you see?” “That’s a punk joke!” scoffed Harold. “I’m not joking. I’ll point him out to you. Lean over this way. See that purplish-brown thing on the side near the bottom? Looks like a flower, sort of. See?” “Sure! Is that it? It isn’t a flower, though; it moves, don’t it?” Harold was interested in spite of himself. “Yes, it moves, and it isn’t a flower. It’s a polyp. It’s name is Metridium something or other; I forget the rest of it.” “What’s a polyp? An animal?” “Y-yes, of a low order. About as much as a sponge is.” “Pooh, a sponge is a vegetable!” derided the other. “Not exactly. Those things that move are little tentacles with which it feeds itself,” said Dick, pointing again at the anemone. “What’s it eat?” asked Harold curiously. “All sorts of animal matter that floats around in the water and that is so small we can’t see it.” Harold observed him suspiciously. “I don’t believe it’s alive at all,” he said presently. “It’s just a sort of seaweed, and it moves because the water moves.” “Think so?” asked Dick. “Then put your hand down there toward it and see what happens.” “It won’t—bite, will it?” asked Harold doubtfully. “No, but it will show you whether it’s alive or not. You needn’t touch it,” he added, noting the other’s hesitancy. “Just put your hand near it or disturb the water.” Harold pulled his sleeve up and cautiously thrust an arm into the pool. “Gee!” he exclaimed. “It shut its mouth!” Dick laughed. “Doesn’t look much like it did, does it?” “No; it’s an ugly little thing now,” responded the other. “Say, that’s funny, isn’t it? Guess it’s alive, all right.” “Yes; and it knows three things pretty well: It knows how to attach itself to the rocks, how to get food, and how to shut up shop when trouble brews.” “What would it do if you took it out?” “Die. Besides, it’s stuck on there so hard you’d have to pull it to pieces to get it off. I tried it once when I was a kid, and had to give it up.” “I’d like to find a sea-urchin,” said Harold. “I’ve got a lot of starfish and a horse-shoe crab and some razor-clam shells and two shark eggs. I guess I’ll get that big starfish down there, too.” “What’s the use?” asked Dick. “It’s just like those you’ve got. Let the old chap live and enjoy himself.” “I’ll get it if I want to,” replied Harold. “Say, what did you follow me out here for, anyway?” “Because I told your mother I’d find you and send you to her. She’s got something to say to you.” “Sure! I suppose you went and told her a lot of lies about me.” “You don’t suppose anything of the sort,” responded Dick quietly. “Well, anyway, I’m not afraid of her.” “Of course not, but you want to do what she wishes, don’t you?” “That’s my business,” replied the other ungraciously. “I do as I please.” “Well, you’re a lucky chap, then,” said Dick pleasantly. “By the way, are you going to see the ball game Saturday?”