208 ALBACORA 



ens had not been doing well. But huge bananas from 

 the nearby forest went for one cent and ripe avocados 

 cost only four cents. "Fish," I said eagerly to Henrique. 

 "Fish?" 



He shook his head. Walt asked him a longer question 

 in Spanish and Henrique shook his head again. "No," 

 he said. "No, no." More words came forth in a torrent, 

 then Henrique quieted. 



"Well, Walt," I said. "Which way to Bosco?" 



"South," Walt said. "Back to Iquique." 



"What's the matter?" Lou said. 



"This is the worst year for fish Henrique remem- 

 bers," Walt said, "and he remembers almost fifty 

 years." 



"What?" I exclaimed, shocked. 



"The big problem seems to be bait," Walt said. "He 

 says there's a shortage of bonito this year. It's been so 

 bad, Henrique says, very few commercial boats have 

 come back more than once or twice." 



"But in Peru," I said, "all we heard from the com- 

 mercial men was La Plata Island." 



"He says that there is some chance near the north- 

 west corner of the island and he wants to show us the 

 spot." 



"Well, let's go," Lou said. 



To catch bait we trolled with feathers in the area 

 Henrique had suggested. We could have used dead bait 

 for the big fish, of course, but the method common to 



