Part 27 (2/2)
The old keeper of the place greeted Colin and proceeded to deliver hined for the benefit of tourists
It was pure 'nature-faking,' since it ascribed human characteristics to so called the ”bride” and ”groom” and so forth The screed was rather wearisome to Colin, but when he tried to interrupt, the old keeper seeo on to the end
The feeding of the fish was ato observe that the angel-fish and groupers were able to recognize their respective summons to food, for when the keeper tapped one portion of the bridge it gave a sharp cracking sound to which the angel-fish caroupers and other fish, he hit another portion of the bridge, which reverberated in a different tone, and the larger fish dashed through the water to the appointed places After this perfor to talk less idly, and showed a very considerable knowledge of the species found in Bermuda waters
”I noticed,” Colin said, ”that you fed the angel-fish with sea-urchin I don't see how they can eat it with their tiny et in the way”
”I crushes the spines before I throws 'em in,” the keeper answered; ”but they eats 'eets at 'eel-fish has, and for a sroupers lets 'eroupers fierce?” the boy asked, with his arh, sir,” said the old man ”I was tellin' a party once, just what I was tellin' you a while ago about the fish----”
”Yes,” said Colin wearily, realizing that the saroom fish and the ”old bachelor” and all the rest of it had probably been given as a dose to every visitor for twenty years back, ”and what then?”
[Illustration: THE POOL WHERE THE DOG WAS DEVOURED
Angel-fish and groupers in the Devil's Hole, Bere Note the reflection of the trees on the water
_Photograph by F R-W_]
”There was an officer in the party, sir,” the keeper continued, ”and when I spoke of the fish as bein' savage 'e laughed and said 'e didn't believe it 'E said 'e'd swaot hurt, but I told 'ie in the pool”
Colin looked down at the fish
”They don't look very bad,” he said; ”but I don't think I'd like to chance it”
”You're right, sir; I wouldn't go in, not for a thousand pound Well, this officer--'e was a captain, I think--made some re would scare the fish so that they wouldn't as much as coh,” said Colin; ”a fish wouldn't try to attack a dog”
”That's what 'e said,” the keeper continued; ”and 'e bet'urt, but a bet's a bet, and there weren't no ladies present, so I took 'im up”
”Well?” queried Colin, as the keeper stopped
”'E threw the dog in,” the keeper answered; ”it was a spaniel and quite at 'ome in the water”
”What happened?”
”In about ten seconds the water was just alive with fish, swimmin' round and round, comin' up by the 'undred from the deep water Then they all turned black, like they do always before they're goin' to feed
Reo on”
”Then they all at once made a dash for the poor beast I tried to pull 'im out, but there was a couple of 'undred of 'eave just one yelp and then was pulled under, and the groupers jolly well ate him clear down to the bones We never saw 'ide nor 'air of 'ien!”