PERU 



Tom Bates and the crew shook hands with me and Tom 

 said, "Boy, you've got yourself a fish. I think it's easily a 

 new record." "I'm not after records," I rejoined. "All I can 

 say is I'm thankful to have got two black marlin in one 

 day and thank God you were with me!" (At no time 

 while battling the fish had I thought he would go over 975 

 pounds.) 



Our catch looked awfully well with the light from the gin 

 pole shining down on him. It was now pitch dark and we 

 started to run back to port. I proceeded to rub myself down 

 just as I had done on that fateful evening one year, five 

 months, two weeks and a day earlier— but this time I sat and 

 looked at my fish instead of at my hands. He was long and 

 beautifully proportioned. 



We made the mole around 7:30 and there was good old 

 Dick Norris once more awaiting my return. He bawled the 

 heU out of me for staying out after dark twice in a year 

 and a half. But this time he had something else besides a 

 broken-down old man of the sea to help up the steps of the 

 mole. He had a nice fish to lower the crane for. Its crew 

 had stood by in expectation that my trip would be crowned 

 with success. We jumped out of the boat onto the mole 

 where for once the children were not in evidence as it was 

 too late for them. We lowered the crane and lifted the 

 black marlin out of the boat. As he came up he looked enor- 

 mous, suspended in the air. They never appear more majestic 

 than during that long lift up the mole. 



The crew went out to moor the boat and stow the gear 

 while Norris fetched the scales. "This is it," he grinned. 

 While I still couldn't believe it possible it would have been 



95 



