“The long snout!—what do you mean by that, Snowy?”
“Wha do a mean?—de long-nose a mean. Tole ye so! dar he be yonner,—right on de la’bord quarter. Dis nigger knew he no far off. Da’s why de beauties hab come roun de raff; an dat I hope keep um hyar till we hab cotch a few ob dem!”
“A shark!” cried the boy-sailor, catching a glance of some large fish at some distance out in the water on the larboard bow,—the direction in which Snowball had pointed.
“Shark! nuffin ob de kind,” rejoined the negro; “diff’rent sort ob fish altogedder. If him wa shark, de albacore no stay hyar. Dey go up to him, and dart all ’bout im,—jess like de lilly birds when dey see big hawk or de vulture. No shark he,—dat ere skulkin’ fella. He am massa long-nose,—de real enemy ob de albacore. No fear ob dem leabin’ us, while he anywhar in sight.”
Saying this the Coromantee proceeded to single out his hooks; and, assisted by Ben Brace, commenced baiting them with an unconcern that testified a full confidence in the truth of his assertion.
Chapter Forty Five.
The Sword-Fish.
Little William,—whose curiosity had become excited at the appearance of the strange fish,—stood looking over the larboard quarter, in hopes of getting a better view of it.