Part 28 (2/2)
”It must have been good fun!” exclaimed Colin. ”I wish I'd been there!”
”Just you wait till you've 'eard what 'appened, young sir,” the old man warned him, ”and then p'r'aps you'll be glad you weren't.”
”All right,” the boy prompted him; ”go ahead.”
”'E was plucky, though, this chap, so Israel told me, for while 'is 'and was cut with the line two or three times when the moray made a vicious rush, still 'e 'ung on and that's not as easy as it sounds. But in about 'alf an hour the fish was seemin'ly done for and the New Yorker pulled 'im in, 'and over 'and, as easy as you please. Just as 'e got 'im to the gunwale, though, the moray gave an extra wriggle, and bein' afraid that 'e might get away agen, the fisherman gave a sudden pull and brought 'im on board without waitin' to stun 'im.”
Colin grinned appreciatively.
”I've heard of a chap who got into trouble with a conger eel that way,”
he said. ”But go ahead with the story.”
”For about a minute or two, so Israel told me,” the old man went on, ”the moray stayed quiet at the bottom of the boat. Then 'e put up 'is 'ead, with its gleamin', wicked teeth, and looked first at Israel and then at the New Yorker. 'E next sort of shook 'imself all along the spine, to make sure 'e was all there, and began to squirm 'is way toward the stern.”
”That was where the angler was?” queried Colin.
”Yes, sir; Israel was in the bow. 'E said the New Yorker didn't seem to take it in at first, but that 'e suddenly gave a yell, jumped on one of the thwarts, and grabbed the boat-'ook. The fish was an ugly-lookin'
brute, from what I 'ear, and a spotted moray over six feet long is as nasty a thing to face as anything I know of.”
”But he didn't deliberately attack the men, did he?”
”That's just what 'e did! There wasn't no thres.h.i.+n' around and flurryin', but the vicious brute acted just like some kind of a sea-snake. The fisherman brought down the boat-'ook with all 'is might, but the moray just twisted sidewise as the blow came down, and the blunt-pointed 'ead, with its rows of sharp teeth, darted forward for the New Yorker's leg.
”This was too much for 'is nerves and, with a 'owl that could have been 'eard a mile away, the fisherman jumped from the dingey into the sea, the teeth of the moray closin' on the thwart where the man's foot 'ad been a minute before. There was a sound of splinterin', and the eel bit an inch of wood clear out of the board.”
”My word, there must have been power behind that jaw!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Colin.
”For a minute or two the moray was quiet, and then 'e turned round. But in turnin' 'e got imself twisted, the line which was still fast to 'is lower jaw becomin' entangled around one of the rowlocks. But this gave 'im 'is chance: with a sudden pull, 'e broke the line and was free.
Then, so Israel says, the fish just looked at 'im, and began to slide along the boat. But Israel didn't wait to find out what the moray was after, 'e just decided to take no chances, and jumped for the mast.”
”Why for the mast?” queried Colin. ”He couldn't hang on there very long.”
”No,” the old keeper answered; ”but supposin' he went overboard with the New Yorker, what could they do with the boat? Ask the moray to sail it into 'Amilton? No, Israel climbed up the light mast 'igh enough for 'is weight to capsize the dingey. As soon as the boat turned over on its side and the water came in, the moray saw the way to freedom, and dashed back to 'is 'ome in the reefs, 'avin' beaten two good men and gotten away 'imself.”
CHAPTER VII
HARPOONING A GIANT SEA VAMPIRE
Colin wakened early the following morning and got up promptly, planning to show his alertness, but when he came downstairs and sauntered out between the oleander bushes toward the water he heard a hail and found that his chief was already up and was busy unpacking some large boxes which had been delivered the night before. The boy hurried to help him.
”What are these, Mr. Collier?” he asked, as some large square boxes with a window in the bottom came into view.
”These are water gla.s.ses,” the scientist answered, ”not the kind that is used by tourists, but some I have had made specially--lenses with reflecting mirrors; with them the bottom of the sea ought to show up clearly. As you notice, they are long enough to be usable from the deck of a fair-sized sailing boat. It's a shame only to half-see things as beautiful as the sea-gardens. When a thing's worth while, it is so much worth while.”
”I thought you would probably have to dive,” Colin said, ”in order to see the submarine gardens thoroughly.”
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