ad a fight with two men, one of 'em a
fisherman from New York, and jolly well beat 'em both?"

"No," Colin answered; "how could that be?"

"I didn't see it myself," the keeper began, "but from all I 'ear the
story's straight enough. The fishin' party 'ad gone out on the reefs
after rockfish, which is one of the gamiest fighters we 'ave 'ere, and
some of 'em runs up to fifty and sixty pounds. They 'ad 'ooked several
fine 'ogfish--you want to 'ave a look at some of 'em; crimson fish they
are with long sweepin' spines--and the next bite turned out to be a
chub. They could see 'im plainly enough through the clear water. When
pretty nigh the surface, just near'a large dome of brain coral, a long
spotted fish shot out and seized the chub, swallowin' the 'ook into the
bargain."

"Did they have a strong line?" Colin asked. "A moray is a powerful fish,
isn't he?"

"'E's all muscle and teeth," the keeper answered. "Yes, sir, it was
'andline fishin' and they 'ad a good strong line, so it was a sure thing
that they could land 'im if 'e didn't wrap the line around a rock.
Israel, the boatman, wanted to cut the line, but the New Yorker 'e said,
no; 'ad never caught a moray before and 'e 'oped to get this one. So
they got the boat out into deeper water, Israel keepin' it clear of the
reefs and the fisherman tryin' to 'aul in the line."

"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',