specimens
of tin and tinned copper, and for a time he seemed as if he could hardly
make up his mind which was the better. Then he laid his coil of line
made of roughly twisted grass beside ours, and inspected the two
carefully, after which he uttered a sigh and put his own away, evidently
quite satisfied that the civilised article was by far the better.

We sailed out about a mile and then anchored at the edge of a reef of
coral, which acted as a shelter against the great rollers which broke
far away upon its edge, seeming to make a ridge of surf, while where we
lay all was undulating and calm, but with the tide running strongly over
the reef, where the water was not a fathom deep and growing shallower
moment by moment.

Ebo laid his short club ready to his hand, signing to me to draw my big
hunting-knife and place it beside me.

"That looks as if we were to catch some large and dangerous fish, Nat,"
said my uncle; and he drew his own knife before passing to each of us a
line with the artificial baits affixed.

"Won't you fish, uncle?" I asked.

"No, my boy. You two can fish, and as soon as you catch one we will cut
him up for bait. I don't believe in artificial bait when you can get
real."

By this time Ebo had thrown out his line and I followed his example,
seeing the swift current seize upon the bait and carry it rapidly out
over the reef, twinkling and sparkling in the water as I jerked it by
paying out more line.

All at once, when it was some fifteen yards away. I felt a jerk and a
snatch.

"I've got one," I said; but the tugging ceased directly, and I felt that
the fish had gone.

Either the same, though, or another seized it directly, for there was a
fierce tug which cut my hand, and I had to give line for a few moments
while the fish I had hooked darted here and there like lightning, but I
had it up to the side soon after, and gazed at it with delight, for it
was, as it lay panting in the boat, like a magnificent goldfish, five or
six pounds weight, with bars across its side of the most dazzling blue.

"Poo--chah--chah!" Ebo cried with a face full of disgust as he twisted
his own line round a peg in the boat, and seizing his club battered the
fish to death after unhooking it, and threw it over the side, where, as
it was carried away, I could see that dozens of fish were darting at it,
tearing it to pieces as fast as they could.

"What did you do that for?" I cried angrily, for it seemed wa