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 threshin' 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!" ejaculated 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 VAMPIR