The hope of replenishing their larder was likely to be realised easily,
and ere long. Scarce had their sail caught the breeze, when they
perceived alongside the _Catamaran_ a shoal of the most beautiful fish
that are to be found in any part of the boundless ocean. There were
several hundreds in the shoal; like mackerel, all nearly of one size,
and swimming, moreover in the same direction,--just as a school of
mackerel are seen to do.
They were much larger, however, than the common mackerel,--each being
about four feet in length, with a stout, though well-proportioned body,
having that peculiar elegance of shape which belongs to all the mackerel
tribe.
Their colour was sufficient of itself to entitle them to the appellation
of beautiful creatures. It was a bright turquoise blue or azure,
showing, in certain lights, a tinge of gold. This was the colour of
their backs; while underneath they were of a silvery white, gleaming
with a lively iridescence. A row of spurious fins above the tail, and
another underneath, were of a bright yellow; while their large round
eyes exhibited an iris of silver.
Their pectoral fins were very long and sickle-shaped; while the dorsal
one, also well developed, presented a structural peculiarity in having a
deep groove running longitudinally down the spine of the back, into
which the fin,--when at rest and depressed,--exactly fitted: becoming so
completely sheathed and concealed, as to give to the fish the appearance
of being without this apparatus altogether!
If we except their lovely hues, their greater size, and a few other less
notable circumstances, the fishes in question might have been taken for
mackerel; and it would have been no great mistake to so describe them:
since they were in reality of this genus. They were of a different
species, however,--the most beautiful species of the mackerel tribe.
"Albacore!" cried Ben Brace, as soon as he saw them shooting alongside
the raft. "Albacore be they. Now, Snowy, out wi' your hooks an' lines.
In this fresh breeze they be a'most sure to bite; and we'll be able, I
hope, to make up for the loss o' the others. Hush all o' ye! Ne'er a
word; ne'er a movement to scare 'em off. Softly, Snowy! Softly, ye ole
sea-cook."
"No fear, Massa Brace,--no fear o' dem leabin dis ole _Cat'maran_, so
long's de be a-gwine on dat fashion. Looker dar! Fuss to one side, den
de todder,--back and for'rad as ef de cudn't be content nowha."
While Snowball was speaking, and before he had commenced, the albacores
had entered upon a peculiar movement. On first joining company with the
_Catamaran_, they swam for a time alongside,--the starboard side,--
keeping pace with the raft, and evidently making no exertion to go ahead
of her, as they might easily have done. On the contrary, they scarce
moved their fins; but floated slowly along at the exact rate of speed at
which the craft was sailing, and not one bit faster. As they swam
parallel to the raft, and also parallel to each other, one might have
fancied them all joined together by some invisible link, that kept them
from changing their relative positions both to the _Catamaran_ and to
one another!
All at once, however, and quick as the change of a kaleidoscope, this
parallelism was terminated,--not as regarded each other, but with
respect to the course of the _Catamaran_ By a single flutter of their
tails, the whole _school_ was seen simultaneously turning head towards
the craft; and then, like a flash of lightning, they passed underneath.
For a moment they were out of sight; but in the next they appeared on
the starboard beam, swimming parallel as before, both to the course of
the _Catamaran_ and to each other. The manoeuvre was executed with such
precision and uniformity, as could not be imitated among men,--even
under the tuition of the ablest drill-sergeant that ever existed. They
swerved from right to left, as if each and all were actuated by the same
impulse, and at the same instant of time. At the same instant their
tails made a movement in the water,--at precisely the same point of time
they turned together,--showing a list of its silvery abdomen, and with
like simultaneous action did they dive under the keel of the
_Catamaran_.
It was this peculiar manoeuvre on the part of the fish,--won after
repeated by their shooting back to the starboard, and again returning to
larboard,--that had elicited from Snowball the assertion, so confidently
put forward, that there was no fear of their leaving the _Catamaran_ so
long as they were going in that fashion.
Of those upon the raft, Ben Brace alone comprehended Snowball's meaning.
To little William it was a matter of some surprise when the ex-sea-cook
spoke so confidently, and acted, moreover, as if he had no fear of
frightening the shy-looking creatures that were swimming alongside.
"Why, Snowy?" asked the lad,--"why is there no fear of their being
scared off?"
"Kase, lilly Willy, I hab de idea dar be something else not far off, dat
dem albacore am more feerd on dan we. I no see dat someting yet. We
sure see de _long snout_, by 'm by."
"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.