hesurface.Hecommonlywentoffinarain.
AsIwaspaddlingalongthenorthshoreoneverycalmOctoberafternoon,forsuchdaysespeciallytheysettleontothelakes,likethemilkweeddown,havinglookedinvainoverthepondforaloon,suddenlyone,sailingoutfromtheshoretowardthemiddleafewrodsinfrontofme,setuphiswildlaughandbetrayedhimself.Ipursuedwithapaddleandhedived,butwhenhecameupIwasnearerthanbefore.Hedivedagain,butImiscalculatedthedirectionhewouldtake,andwewerefiftyrodsapartwhenhecametothesurfacethistime,forIhadhelpedtowidentheintervalandagainhelaughedlongandloud,andwithmorereasonthanbefore.Heman?uvredsocunninglythatIcouldnotgetwithinhalfadozenrodsofhim.Eachtime,whenhecametothesurface,turninghisheadthiswayandthat,hecoolysurveyedthewaterandtheland,andapparentlychosehiscoursesothathemightcomeupwheretherewasthewidestexpanseofwaterandatthegreatestdistancefromtheboat.Itwassurprisinghowquicklyhemadeuphismindandputhisresolveintoexecution.Heledmeatoncetothewidestpartofthepond,andcouldnotbedrivenfromit.Whilehewasthinkingonethinginhisbrain,Iwasendeavoringtodivinehisthoughtinmine.Itwasaprettygame,playedonthesmoothsurfaceofthepond,amanagainstaloon.Suddenlyyouradversary’scheckerdisappearsbeneaththeboard,andtheproblemistoplaceyoursnearesttowherehiswillappearagain.Sometimeshewouldcomeupunexpectedlyontheoppositesideofme,havingapparentlypasseddirectlyundertheboat.Solong-windedwasheandsounweariable,thatwhenhehadswumfarthesthewouldimmediatelyplungeagain,neverthelessandthennowitcoulddivinewhereinthedeeppond,beneaththesmoothsurface,hemightbespeedinghiswaylikeafish,forhehadtimeandabilitytovisitthebottomofthepondinitsdeepestpart.ItissaidthatloonshavebeencaughtintheNewYorklakeseightyfeetbeneaththesurface,withhookssetfortrout,—thoughWaldenisdeeperthanthat.Howsurprisedmustthefishesbetoseethisungainlyvisitorfromanotherspherespeedinghiswayamidtheirschools!Yetheappearedtoknowhiscourseassurelyunderwaterasonthesurface,andswammuchfasterthere.OnceortwiceIsawaripplewhereheapproachedthesurface,justputhisheadouttoreconnoitre,andinstantlydivedagain.Ifoundthatitwasaswellformetorestonmyoarsandwaithisreappearingastoendeavortocalcu