But it could not be . What has been once can never come over again . And people can be little babies , even water-babies , only once in their lives . Besides , people who make up their minds to go and see the world , as Tom did , must needs find it a weary journey . Lucky for them if they do not lose heart and stop half-way , instead of going on bravely to the end as Tom did . For then they will remain neither boys nor men , neither fish , flesh , nor good red-herring : having learnt a great deal too much , and yet not enough ; and sown their wild oats , without having the advantage of reaping them . But Tom was always a brave , determined , little English bull-dog , who never knew when he was beaten ; and on and on he held , till he saw a long way off the red buoy through the fog . And then he found to his surprise , the stream turned round , and running up inland . It was the tide , of course : but Tom knew nothing of the tide . He only knew that in a minute more the water , which had been fresh , turned salt all round him . And then there came a change over him . He felt as strong , and light , and fresh , as if his veins had run champagne ; and gave , he did not know why , three skips out of the water , a yard high , and head over heels , just as the salmon do when they first touch the noble rich salt water , which , as some wise men tell us , is the mother of all living things . He did not care now for the tide being against him . The red buoy was in sight , dancing in the open sea ; and to the buoy he would go , and to it he went . He passed great shoals of bass and mullet , leaping and rushing in after the shrimps , but he never heeded them , or they him ; and once he passed a great black shining seal , who was coming in after the mullet . The seal put his head and shoulders out of water , and stared at him , looking exactly like a fat old greasy negro with a gray pate . And Tom , instead of being frightened , said , `` How d'ye do , sir ; what a beautiful place the sea is ! '' And the old seal , instead of trying to bite him , looked at him with his soft sleepy winking eyes , and said , `` Good tide to you , my little man ; are you looking for your brothers and sisters ? I passed them all at play outside . '' `` Oh , then , '' said Tom , `` I shall have playfellows at last , '' and he swam on to the buoy , and got upon it -LRB- for he was quite out of breath -RRB- and sat there , and looked round for water-babies : but there were none to be seen .
The sea-breeze came XXXXX freshly with the tide and blew the fog away ; and the little waves danced for joy around the buoy , and the old buoy danced with them .
Besides at for if in of off over through to