Tbe Groupers 217 



swifter than the huge jewfish, so I baited a suit- 

 able line with a living yellowtail and cast it over 

 into one of the " gulfs enchanted " which I could 

 plainly see. The bait was very active, and made 

 a brave showing with its vivid gold and silver 

 tints, and as it sank slowly, struggling, something 

 like a great shadow came out of the depths, and 

 the next instant I was dragged down flat into 

 the stern, and the line was hissing, leaping 

 over the rail like a living thing. So fierce was 

 the rush, so vigorous the onslaught, that for a 

 few seconds I lost the line, and when I did grasp 

 it, Chief had cast off the buoyed anchor and we 

 were away behind as lively a steed as one would 

 wish. 



" Man-eater shark, sa'," grunted the Seminole, 

 sententiously, but he had not seen it. I had, and 

 it was either a jewfish or some fish new in my 

 experience. 



But no jewfish ever looked so dark and black 

 as did this mystery that turned and towed us 

 directly out to sea. And as the water deepened 

 rapidly, we were shortly off bottom with the fish 

 directly beneath us, towing the clinker-built boat 

 so swiftly that she had not one, but two bones 

 in her teeth. It was only after much exertion 



