270 The Mackerel 



communicated to him by a series of vibrations the 

 presence near at hand of some creatures, almost certainly 

 enemies, but possibly victims. An almost impercepti- 

 ble flash of the beautiful tail, a quiver of all the fins, 

 and like a gleam of light he has sped forward to see. 

 It is a little band of porpoises, perfectly harmless to 

 fish like himself, but the native blood-thirst is awak- 

 ened, the lithe tail sweeps scythe-like from side to 

 side, and in a moment he has launched himself at the 

 flat black flank of a sea-pig, in which his sword buries 

 itself up to his eyes nearly. With a perfectly indescrib- 

 able movement he stems clear, describes a great 

 circle, and, in spite of the great speed of the terrified 

 and deeply wounded mammal, again buries his weapon 

 deep in its vitals. But then, upon the slackening of 

 the porpoise's speed consequent upon the tremendous 

 drain of blood, the rest of the sea-pigs swarm round, 

 made ravenous by the smell, the sight, the taste of 

 blood. And soon there is a horrible cannibal feast 

 going on, brother tearing brother into fragments, 

 while like some destroying demon the infuriated 

 Xiphias wheels and stabs incessantly without obtaining 

 any of the spoil for himself, except a taste of the blood, 

 which only seems to increase his hunger. 



That onslaught was a great mistake, involving 

 as it did such a waste of energy without any 

 resultant reward. But the young Sword-fish can 

 only learn by the action of the twin teachers of ex- 

 perience and instinct, and the lesson just received 

 is in nowise lost. In future, except for she^-r love 

 of destruction, he will not attack such creatures as 

 he cannot devour. So for a long time he ranges the 

 warm tropical seas proudly slaying and devouring all 

 that he needs to assist him in his rapid development, 

 until at last we behold him, eighteen feet long, with a 



