And no wonder. For, above the surface, the head, shoulders, and bare arms, with fingers ending in claws, had appeared. The face was very old-looking and wrinkled, but the scream it gave would have done honour to a mountain curlew. Then it swam to the side of the tank.
The scientists were shaking with dread.
'Se—se—send him d—d—down, Mr Lee. Have you no co—co—co—control over him?'
'Not a bit,' cried Biffins. 'Serve you right if you're frightened, I say.'
But Skeleton now rushed in with a live fish and threw it towards the water. The merman caught it and disappeared. Then the scientists stood there for ten whole minutes as if turned into stone, with their watches in their hands.
'If you care to have him up again, gentlemen,' said Lee, 'I think I have only to throw in another haddock.'
'No, no—not for the world. We mean, we are perfectly satisfied, Mr Lee.' It was the mouthpiece of the party who spoke.
'I think, my friends,' he went on, 'that we must now thank Professor Lee for his great kindness, and—and retire; for verily, verily, gentlemen, there are more things in heaven and earth than—er—we dream of in our—er—philosophy.'
Biffins followed them out beyond the compound, and as he bade them good-night he said, 'You'll give me a paragraph in your papers, won't you, my friends?'
'My good fellow, we will give you a leading article. You are a benefactor to science!'