The Pilot-Fish had long since departed for other scenes, and Sammy
wished that he had consented to accompany him. Now it was too late,
and the only thing to do was to wait and hope for some way of beating
a retreat. Not caring to confide his weakness to his two friends, who
would not understand it, he kept his secret to himself, longing more
and more for that quiet mountain stream so very far away.

One fine day as Sammy was swimming sadly along, and alone, near the
outer reef of the Lagoon, his friend, the Nautilus approached him in
great excitement.

"I've seen such a strange sight," he exclaimed eagerly, sailing close
up to the salmon in his haste. "This morning I thought I would have a
little adventure, for it's very tiresome spending so much time in the
Lagoon, so I found my way, through a passage known only to myself, out
to the ocean, and such fun as I had sailing up and down! To be sure I
had to keep a pretty sharp outlook, for it is a dangerous place out
there. However, nothing of any consequence happened, and I was
beginning to feel a little disappointed, when suddenly, only a short
distance away, I saw a school of large, pink fish, very much like you
in appearance, and all swimming north. Never before in all my
experience have I known a school of fish of that kind in our
neighborhood! It will be the talk of Coral-Land for a week. Excuse me,
but I really must go and tell my family," and abruptly upsetting his
shell the Nautilus disappeared at once from view.

For a moment Sammy hesitated. Gay and Gilt, with his other friends,
were far away. Should he try to find them and say good-bye? No, it
would take too much time, and they would be sure to protest against