210 ALBACORA 



"Come on, Walt," I said, "we can't miss this." 



"This belongs in the circus," Lou said. "He might 

 as well be hauling that marlin in with his teeth." 



Walt followed slowly and at a careful distance so we 

 would not interfere with the battle. The fish, towing 

 the tiny craft through the sea swell, often disappeared 

 from our sight. Gradually the island disappeared from 

 view. "How far do we want to stay with this?" Walt 

 said. 



"To the end," Lou said. 



The fish was driving and leaping and the boy was 

 holding fast. Finally, fully twenty miles from shore, 

 the fish slowed its pace. The boy had been sitting very 

 tensely hanging on, but when the fish slackened its pace, 

 he had a new cue. He sprang up and drew the line in 

 with both hands just as hard as he could. Twenty minutes 

 later the marlin lay alongside Felipe's bongo. 



"That fish is going to run 800 pounds," Lou said. 



"Easy," Walt said. 



"Well, what's he going to do with it now?" I said. 

 "He doesn't have a gaff. How is he going to get him 

 in the boat?" 



"If he tries to get that marlin in his boat," Lou 

 said, "he isn't going to have any boat left. Maybe he'll 

 put the boat in the marlin." 



The boy reached into the bottom of the bongo, came 

 up with a knife and began stabbing the marlin with 

 his right hand, while holding him close to the boat with 



