186 ALBACORA 



tone of a fishwife. "I'm on the fastest striper I ever 

 saw." My line grew taut. "He's getting away. Back her 

 up, Walt, back up the boat." 



"Don't back up," Lou shouted. "Swing her around 

 and get Charlie. Hurry it up." I spotted Charlie sitting 

 placidly in the water, off to starboard, watching and 

 wondering. 



"H you turn to starboard quick, Walt," I said, "I 

 may keep hold of the fish." Walt turned and I winced, 

 expecting that my line, more than three-quarters off the 

 spool, was going to pop. I looked back and there was 

 Lou, hanging over the side of the boat, whistling and 

 shouting Charlie's name. My reel was screaming, and 

 Lou was whistling at a bird. 



When we got alongside him, Charlie waited, almost 

 like a child, to be picked up. Then, accidentally, he 

 caught a spray of warm water from the exhaust. At 

 once Charlie lunged toward it and began to take a 

 shower. Somewhere in the distance my marlin was leap- 

 ing in long, graceful arcs. Charlie stuck his head close 

 to the exhaust pipe. More of my line ran out. Charlie 

 preened his feathers and let the spray hit him from a 

 different angle. My bare reel was about to break 

 through. "Walt," I shouted, "have you gone crazy, 

 too?" 



Lou reached overboard and hauled Charlie on deck. 

 The Explorer rocketed after my marlin. From then on 

 it was all business, but after several hours the fish was 



