THE KINGDOM OF THE HELMET 83 



possible result. This was perfectly satisfactory, however, 

 for the eel, which, judging by the size of its head must 

 have been eight feet long, withdrew even more quickly 

 than it had appeared. I did not see it again, although it 

 must have remained coiled up within a relatively small 

 cavity close to the edge of the reef, and within a few feet 

 of my stance. I salvaged my second butterflyfish and re- 

 ascended the ladder. 



The bit of odoriferous meat on the pole made me popu- 

 lar among the fish, and sergeant-majors and wrasse fol- 

 lowed me to the surface. After others of my staff had 

 dived, I went down again. My last shot had dislodged a 

 hundred-pound rock which had rolled down and now 

 rested against the side of the isolated boulder, leaving a 

 crevice between. I got my net and the dynamite pole 

 ready, and peered over the rim. Thirty or forty fish of 

 a dozen species were excitedly milling around the torn-up 

 area, the vegetarians finding succulent salad to their lik- 

 ing, and the others a manna of drifting worms and other 

 bits of food. This time I was after a peculiarly marked 

 coney, whose body was divided abruptly along the middle 

 line, dark brown above and white below. I saw several, 

 some distance away, and waited for them to come nearer. 

 A minute or more passed and out shot a coney from my 

 left side, and hid behind a sea-fan directly in front. Close 

 In pursuit came a three-foot barracuda, but balked at the 

 fan which was quite close to me. I sidled around until I 

 could poke my rod over a ledge close to the purple growth. 



