"'Because I made it myself, and I know my own work even when I see it afloat on a whale's back away off in longitude and latitude something or other.'
"'Then it's the same whale!' says I.
"'Right!' says he. 'It's the whale I struck the other day, and which got away because you went out and cut the line.'
"'It would be a pretty good joke on the whale,' says I, 'if we could get close enough to him to catch hold of the end of the line.'
"'It would,' says he,' and we could begin again where we left off yesterday.'
"'Shall we try it?' I asks.
"'Of course,' says he.
"'He's stopped swimming ahead,' says I.
"'Then we'll soon be close to him,' says he.
"'But if he don't swim ahead the end of the line'll sink,' says I.