304 THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



poon. Their reaction, after avoiding the stroke, 

 was instantly to return and follow the foot or the 

 instrument in a most disconcerting way. No shark 

 was quicker, nor by a long way as effective in at- 

 tack upon any fish in trouble or disabled, as these 

 evil-mouthed fish. 



Once I saw a giant ray or devilfish while I was 

 perched on a coral throne. Dense schools of small 

 fish passing overhead dimfmed the light as would a 

 cloud, but this huge creature actually caused a mo- 

 mentary eclipse as he flew close above me, so close 

 indeed and so far beneath the top of the water that 

 my companions did not notice him. My delight at 

 seeing his enormous enamel-white expanse over- 

 head was temporarily distracted by one of his wing 

 tips catching in my hose of life, but it slipped 

 around with no more than a sudden twitch to the 

 helmet. I entered him in my census file as Nomad, 

 unique so near shore, harmless, curious, playful, 

 feeding on nothing more exciting than the minute 

 shrimps and infant crabs which paddle about near 

 the surface, especially at night. All this I had 

 gleaned from others of the kind which I had met 

 farther out in the bay and elsewhere and always 

 close to the top of the water. Devilfish he may be 

 in appearance because of his horns and tail and the 

 color of his cloak, but he has a gentle soul. This 

 giant must have a courtship of sorts and a consort- 

 ing for a time with a mate, but I have found him 

 the most solitary of behemoths. 



The last member of the tribe of True Nomads, 

 and far and away my favorite, is a splendid blue 



