Part 33 (2/2)

”Hold on a bit there,” the sponge-buyer said, ”I never saw a vampire.

What does it look like?”

”Some calls 'em sea-bat or devil-ray,” was the reply, ”an' the're twenty, thirty feet 'cross sometimes. They looks lak a sting ray. Ah don' wan' to see 'em.”

”Isn't that a harpoon down there in the boat?” the capitalist asked calmly.

”Yes, sah, oh, yes, sah, but Lordy, sah, yo' can' do nuffin wif a sea vampa. No, sah. Why, jes' oveh yondah dey was a big schooneh towed out to sea by a vampa.”

”A schooner?”

”Yes, sah, a seven'y-ton schooneh. Yes, sah. He mus' ha' been a big fellah an' goin' swimmin' along he struck de anchoh chain wif his hohns.

It made him mad, right mad, it did, an' he jes' heave up dat hyeh anchoh an' toted it off to sea, draggin' de s.h.i.+p wif him.”

The owner of the _Golden Falcon_ laughed.

”Can you beat that? That's the worst fish story I've heard, Colin. You tell some good ones, too!”

”It's an old story,” the boy answered, ”and I believe it's true. They have often run away with boats.”

The capitalist took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves.

”I've harpooned dozens of porpoises from the _Falcon_,” he said, ”but I never had a chance at a sea vampire. This begins to look interesting.”

”The devil ray, or manta as it is often called, will give you a run for your money,” said Colin, ”and after all we can cut the line.”

”We'll not cut any line,” was the response. ”Now, Pete, get after him.”

But the negro fairly blubbered in terror.

”Lordy, lordy,” he cried, ”an' what yo' goin' t' do to a po' ol' niggeh.

Ah'll do an'thin' yo' say, Ah'll tell yo' de troof about de sponge fahms, an'thin', onl' don' go afteh dat vampa.”

”You'll tell me the truth about the sponge farms, eh?” the prospective buyer remarked sternly. ”So you were trying to put up a crooked deal.

I'll attend to you when we get ash.o.r.e. Now you row after that 'vampa,'

as you call it, and as quick as you know how.”

The negro was about to refuse, but he did not dare.

”Oh, Lordy, boss,” he cried, ”don' go any neaheh. Yas, sah, yas, sah,”

he added as he saw the yachtsman make a move towards him, ”yas, sah, Ah'll row. But we all gwine to be smoddehed alive. Ah jes' knows it.”

Again, close at hand, came the swish and the dull 'boom,' and the negro s.h.i.+vered. Colin was conscious that his heart was pounding a little and he caught himself wis.h.i.+ng that it were the middle of the day instead of evening. Then out of the water not ten feet from the boat a dark witch-like specter swooped into the sky, black, horned, with bat-like wings and a long naked tail like a gigantic rat.

Pete gave a squeal of fright.

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