It was then that I witnessed one of the finest shots that has ever thrilled a hunter. We could clearly make out a large bird with a broad wingspread soaring in our direction. Captain Nemo’s companion raised his gun and fired when it was only several feet above the surface. The animal fell dead, and the force of its fall brought it within the hunter’s grasp. It was a magnificent albatross—a splendid specimen of these oceangoing birds.
Did *no one* read The Rime of the Ancient Mariner?
