At last it gradually approached the bait, and the board began to move. The
moon shone so bright that we could distinctly see him open his huge jaws
and take in the bait. We pulled the rope. He immediately let drop the bait;
and then we saw his black head retreating from the board to the distance of
a few yards; and there it remained quite motionless.
He did not seem inclined to advance again; and so we finished our supper.
In about an hour's time he again put himself in motion, and took hold of
the bait. But probably suspecting that he had to deal with knaves and
cheats, he held it in his mouth but did not swallow it. We pulled the rope
again, but with no better success than the first time.
He retreated as usual, and came back again in about an hour. We paid him
every attention till three o'clock in the morning, when, worn out with
disappointment, we went to the hammocks, turned in and fell asleep.
When day broke we found that he had contrived to get the bait from the
hook, though we had tied it on with string.
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