"YourunclemustnowbeFOUND,"saidtheDoctor—"thatisthenextthing—nowthatweknowhewasn'tthrownintothesea." ThenDab–Dabcameuptohimagainandwhispered, "Asktheeaglestolookfortheman.Nolivingcreaturecanseebetterthananeagle.Whentheyaremileshighintheairtheycancounttheantscrawlingontheground.Asktheeagles." SotheDoctorsentoneoftheswallowsofftogetsomeeagles. Andinaboutanhourthelittlebirdcamebackwithsixdifferentkindsofeagles:aBlackEagle,aBaldEagle,aFishEagle,aGoldenEagle,anEagle–Vulture,andaWhite–tailedSeaEagle. Twiceashighastheboytheywere,eachoneofthem. Andtheystoodontherailoftheship,likeround–shoulderedsoldiersallinarow,sternandstillandstiff;whiletheirgreat,gleaming,blackeyesshotdartingglanceshereandthereandeverywhere. Gub–Gubwasscaredofthemandgotbehindabarrel.Hesaidhefeltasthoughthoseterribleeyeswerelookingrightinsideofhimtoseewhathehadstolenforlunch. AndtheDoctorsaidtotheeagles, "Amanhasbeenlost—afishermanwithredhairandananchormarkedonhisarm.Wouldyoubesokindastoseeifyoucanfindhimforus?Thisboyistheman'snephew." Eaglesdonottalkverymuch.Andalltheyansweredintheirhuskyvoiceswas, "Youmaybesurethatwewilldoourbest—forJohnDolittle." Thentheyflewoff—andGub–Gubcameoutfrombehindhisbarreltoseethemgo. Upandupanduptheywent—higherandhigherandhigherstill. Then,whentheDoctorcouldonlyjustseethem,theypartedcompanyandstartedgoingoffalldifferentways—North,East,SouthandWest,lookingliketinygrainsofblacksandcreepingacrossthewide,bluesky. "Mygracious!"saidGub–Gubinahushedvoice."Whataheight!Iwondertheydon'tscorchtheirfeathers—sonearthesun!" Theyweregonealongtime.Andwhentheycamebackitwasalmostnight. AndtheeaglessaidtotheDoctor, "Wehavesearchedalltheseasandallthecountriesandalltheislandsandallthecitiesandallthevillagesinthishalfoftheworld.Butwehavefailed. InthemainstreetofGibraltarwesawthreeredhairslyingonawheel–barrowbeforeabaker'sdoor. Buttheywerenotthehairsofaman—theywerethehairsoutofafur–coat. Nowhere,onlandorwater,couldweseeanysignofthisboy'suncle. AndifWEcouldnotseehim,thenheisnottobeseen....ForJohnDolittle—wehavedoneourbest." Thenthesixgreatbirdsflappedtheirbigwingsandflewbacktotheirhomesinthemountainsandtherocks. "Well,"saidDab–Dab,aftertheyhadgone,"whatarewegoingtodonow? Theboy'suncleMUSTbefound—there'snotwowaysaboutthat. Theladisn'toldenoughtobeknockingaroundtheworldbyhimself. Boysaren'tlikeducklings—theyhavetobetakencareoftillthey'requiteold....IwishChee–Cheewerehere.Hewouldsoonfindtheman.GoodoldChee–Chee!Iwonderhowhe'sgettingon!" "IfweonlyhadPolynesiawithus,"saidthewhitemouse."SHEwouldsoonthinkofsomeway.Doyourememberhowshegotusalloutofprison—thesecondtime?My,butshewasacleverone!" "Idon'tthinksomuchofthoseeagle–fellows,"saidJip."They'rejustconceited. Theymayhaveverygoodeyesightandallthat;butwhenyouaskthemtofindamanforyou,theycan'tdoit—andtheyhavethecheektocomebackandsaythatnobodyelsecoulddoit. They'rejustconceited—likethatcollieinPuddleby. AndIdon'tthinkawholelotofthosegossipyoldporpoiseseither. Alltheycouldtelluswasthatthemanisn'tinthesea. Wedon'twanttoknowwhereheISN'T—wewanttoknowwhereheIS." "Oh,don'ttalksomuch,"saidGub–Gub."It'seasytotalk;butitisn'tsoeasytofindamanwhenyouhavegotthewholeworldtohunthimin. Maybethefisherman'shairhasturnedwhite,worryingabouttheboy;andthatwaswhytheeaglesdidn'tfindhim.Youdon'tknoweverything.You'rejusttalking.Youarenotdoinganythingtohelp. Youcouldn'tfindtheboy'suncleanymorethantheeaglescould—youcouldn'tdoaswell." "Couldn'tI?"saidthedog."That'sallyouknow,youstupidpieceofwarmbacon!Ihaven'tbeguntotryyet,haveI?Youwaitandsee!" ThenJipwenttotheDoctorandsaid, "Asktheboyifhehasanythinginhispocketsthatbelongedtohisuncle,willyou,please?" SotheDoctoraskedhim.Andtheboyshowedthemagoldringwhichheworeonapieceofstringaroundhisneckbecauseitwastoobigforhisfinger. Hesaidhisunclegaveittohimwhentheysawthepiratescoming. "That'snogood.Askhimifhehasanythingelsethatbelongedtohisuncle." Thentheboytookfromhispocketagreat,bigredhandkerchiefandsaid,"Thiswasmyuncle'stoo." Assoonastheboypulleditout,Jipshouted, "SNUFF,byJingo!—BlackRappeesnuff.Don'tyousmellit?Hisuncletooksnuff—Askhim,Doctor." TheDoctorquestionedtheboyagain;andhesaid,"Yes.Myuncletookalotofsnuff." "Fine!"saidJip."Theman'sasgoodasfound. 'Twillbeaseasyasstealingmilkfromakitten. TelltheboyI'llfindhisuncleforhiminlessthanaweek. Letusgoupstairsandseewhichwaythewindisblowing." "Butitisdarknow,"saidtheDoctor."Youcan'tfindhiminthedark!" "Idon'tneedanylighttolookforamanwhosmellsofBlackRappeesnuff,"saidJipasheclimbedthestairs. "Ifthemanhadahardsmell,likestring,now—orhotwater,itwouldbedifferent.ButSNUFF!—Tut,tut!" "Doeshotwaterhaveasmell?"askedtheDoctor. "Certainlyithas,"saidJip."Hotwatersmellsquitedifferentfromcoldwater. Itiswarmwater—orice—thathasthereallydifficultsmell. Why,Ioncefollowedamanfortenmilesonadarknightbythesmellofthehotwaterhehadusedtoshavewith—forthepoorfellowhadnosoap....Nowthen,letusseewhichwaythewindisblowing. Windisveryimportantinlong–distancesmelling. Itmustn'tbetoofierceawind—andofcourseitmustblowtherightway. Anice,steady,dampbreezeisthebestofall....Ha!—ThiswindisfromtheNorth." ThenJipwentuptothefrontoftheshipandsmeltthewind;andhestartedmutteringtohimself, "Tar;Spanishonions;keroseneoil;wetraincoats;crushedlaurel–leaves;rubberburning;lace–curtainsbeingwashed—No,mymistake,lace–curtainshangingouttodry;andfoxes—hundredsof'em—cubs;and—" "Canyoureallysmellallthosedifferentthingsinthisonewind?"askedtheDoctor. "Andthoseareonlyafewoftheeasysmells—thestrongones. Anymongrelcouldsmellthosewithacoldinthehead. Waitnow,andI'lltellyousomeoftheharderscentsthatarecomingonthiswind—afewofthedaintyones." Thenthedogshuthiseyestight,pokedhisnosestraightupintheairandsniffedhardwithhismouthhalf–open. Foralongtimehesaidnothing.Hekeptasstillasastone.Hehardlyseemedtobebreathingatall.Whenatlasthebegantospeak,itsoundedalmostasthoughheweresinging,sadly,inadream. "Bricks,"hewhispered,verylow—"oldyellowbricks,crumblingwithageinagarden–wall;thesweetbreathofyoungcowsstandinginamountain–stream;theleadroofofadove–cote—orperhapsagranary—withthemid–daysunonit;blackkidgloveslyinginabureau–drawerofwalnut–wood;adustyroadwithahorses'drinking–troughbeneaththesycamores;littlemushroomsburstingthroughtherottingleaves;and—and—and—" "Anyparsnips?"askedGub–Gub. "No,"saidJip."Youalwaysthinkofthingstoeat.Noparsnipswhatever.Andnosnuff—plentyofpipesandcigarettes,andafewcigars.Butnosnuff.WemustwaittillthewindchangestotheSouth." "Yes,it'sapoorwind,that,"saidGub–Gub."Ithinkyou'reafake,Jip.Whoeverheardoffindingamaninthemiddleoftheoceanjustbysmell!Itoldyouyoucouldn'tdoit." "Lookhere,"saidJip,gettingreallyangry. "You'regoingtogetabiteonthenoseinaminute! Youneedn'tthinkthatjustbecausetheDoctorwon'tletusgiveyouwhatyoudeserve,thatyoucanbeascheekyasyoulike!" "Stopquarreling!"saidtheDoctor—"Stopit!Life'stooshort.Tellme,Jip,wheredoyouthinkthosesmellsarecomingfrom?" "FromDevonandWales—mostofthem,"saidJip—"Thewindiscomingthatway." "Well,well!"saidtheDoctor. "Youknowthat'sreallyquiteremarkable—quite. Imustmakeanoteofthatformynewbook. Iwonderifyoucouldtrainmetosmellaswellasthat....Butno—perhapsI'mbetteroffthewayIam. 'Enoughisasgoodasafeast,'theysay.Let'sgodowntosupper.I'mquitehungry." 
