NONSUCH 



the disturbed debris until they reminded me of the 

 kaleidoscope of silver wires of moonlight on water. 

 The sun was out full strength and against the dark 

 rocks and weed the little fish shone like fire. As I 

 drifted out of sight I could see the forms of larger 

 creatures moving toward the unexpected manna. 

 If I derived any satisfaction from being a freak 

 pioneer, I could boast that I was the first human 

 being who had fed fishes by dancing on coral tops 

 eight fathoms down! 



These open-sea danglings were like looking 

 through a magnifying glass — the coral heads were 

 so much more massive, the plumes taller, the fish 

 so considerably larger than those of the inshore 

 reefs ; blue surgeons and angelfish, giant butterflies, 

 parrots over four feet, and other fish in proportion. 

 Now and then I see a species new to our list or even 

 to Bermuda, some of which will always remain un- 

 known to me, others recognizable on sight. 



Toward the end of this particular dangle, my 

 drifting speed increased; the wind in the upper 

 world was evidently rising. I swept past jagged 

 ridges and deep, dark valleys, and then came sand 

 twenty feet farther down, next an island, and more 

 sand. Suddenly a jagged crest appeared ahead. I 

 scrambled hastily up half a dozen rungs and pre- 

 pared to pull up the ladder after me. The only real 

 danger of this work is that of the lower part of the 

 metal ladder catching on some out- jutting finger 

 and snapping in two or at the surface. I was con- 

 stantly on the watch for such a catastrophe, hoping 



54 



