WITH HELMET AND HOSE 89 



succeeded in even touching a fish when in this posi- 

 tion. It can very naturally shoot forward and back- 

 ward with infinitely greater speed and facility, than 

 move sideways against such a heavy medium. So 

 my efforts were always directed at fish broadside 

 on. This method of attack was so new to their ex- 

 perience, that even when just missed, they darted 

 aside only far enough to escape the thrust, then 

 returned at once and examined the trident with 

 deep interest. Sometimes I would scrape off a few 

 scales and then these most astounding creatures 

 would rush back in great excitement, and snap up, 

 one by one, each floating scale, "getting a bit of 

 their own back," as it were. 



The smaller fish were as easy to reach with the 

 prongs as if they were blackberries fastened to a 

 stem, but they were so small and agile that they 

 slipped between and around the barbs. The easiest 

 of all to secure were the medium-sized herbivorous 

 fish such as the yellow-tailed surgeons and the 

 gorgeously colored angelfish. These came inspired 

 only by curiosity and drifted about me aimlessly or 

 nibbled at the rock by my elbow. The sign of 

 Cancer meant nothing to them, and their efficient 

 poisonous spines or defence of whatever kind 

 wrought a self-confidence which carried them 

 through life calmly and without fear. I had merely 

 to wait until they approached and turned their 

 broad profiles when a quick flick of the wrist meant 

 their transference to life in one of our aquariums — 

 where they continued to live placidly and undis- 

 turbed by any change which fate had brought to 



