The Biography of a Man-Eater 



and did not awaken for some hours when he saw 

 that the water over him was deeper, that in some 

 way it had risen. 



He now began to feel like trying his tail again, 

 and the sandy plain being clear, he twisted about, 

 flinging his tail boldly to one side, and rose high 

 into the clear spot, so high, indeed, that he became 

 alarmed as the field of vision opened up, and duck- 

 ing his head, swung the remarkable tail from side 

 to side and plunged down, so rapidly that he ran his 

 head into the sand and lay there, frightened and 

 dazed. But the motion was too delightful to resist, 

 and again he gave the long swing and rose upward, 

 then allowing himself to drop he found that he was 

 balanced to such a nicety, that when he moved his 

 tail he sped directly ahead and so fell into a swing 

 from side to side and moved on and on. 



The white sand led gradually upward with coral 

 on all sides, and as he wandered on, he observed that 

 the smaller inhabitants of the place fled from him. 

 He suddenly came upon a very high and beautifully 

 colored fish twice his own size, and was about to 

 drop to the bottom and hide, when he was amazed 

 to see the angel-fish dart away. Then for the first 

 time there crept into the man-eater's brain the idea 

 that he was a power, that for some reason he was 

 dreaded and feared, and at once his side swing 

 became a swagger and he shot through the water 

 with such rapidity that he rose up the side of the 



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