watched the carpenters fix the leak, and when that palled they were
compelled to fall back on fishing for an amusement.

The professor joined ardently in this sport despite his disappointment
at not being allowed to go ashore. He managed to fix up a net attached
to an iron ring with which he scooped up all kinds of queer fish out
of the river, many of which were so ugly as to be repulsive to the
boys. But the professor seemed to be delighted with them all.

"Ah, there, my beautiful 'Piscatorius Animata Catfisio,'" he would
say, as he seized a struggling sea monster with a firm grip and
plunged it into one of his tin tanks. "I'll dissect you to-night. You
are the finest specimen of your kind I have ever seen."

The boys were suddenly interrupted in their fishing by blood-curdling
yells from the old scientist. Looking up in alarm they saw him dancing
about on the deck holding his arm as if in great pain, while in front
of him on the deck a queer-looking, flat fish with a long barbed tail
flopped about, its great goggle eyes projecting hideously.

Frank ran forward to pick up the creature and throw it overboard, but
as he grasped it he experienced a shock that knocked him head over
heels. As he fell backward he collided with the professor and the two
sprawled on the deck with the professor howling louder than ever.

"No wonder they're hurt," shouted Ben Stubbs, coming up with a long
boat-hook, "that's an electric ray."

"An electric what?" asked Billy.