Barracuda 



the biggest and gamiest fish to be found in the waters 

 of the reef. 



As I followed him down to the boat he had a small 

 pair of oars in one hand and over his shoulder a long, 

 slender pole which vibrated like willow. It was 

 twelve feet long, and bore on one end a two-pronged 

 spear, whose barbs were deftly made to close up as 

 they struck and open out again. The " grains, " as 

 the spear was called, fitted on to the end of the pole 

 and was held by a long cord, the coil of which the 

 fisherman held in his hand. 



Jumping into the boat, we shoved off, and upon 

 reaching the channel, not one hundred yards away, 

 Barracuda threw over a white rag fastened to a line 

 about five feet long, and began to slowly scull the 

 boat along in the direction of the sun. He presented 

 a picturesque if not a graceful figure at this work, his 

 tall form bending by the regular movement of the 

 left arm as he propelled the oar with a screw-like 

 motion. In his right hand rested the long, trembling 

 pole, while the rope was coiled up at his feet. 



We had gone perhaps two hundred yards when I 

 noticed the lank form of my guide stiffen up. He 

 now moved the oar very gently, and in a low voice 

 told me to look over his shoulder. I did so, and 

 about twenty feet astern saw a fish nearly eight feet 

 in length swimming along, evidently watching like a 

 cat the white rag that whirled over and over as it 

 darted ahead, every few minutes turning upon its side 



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