INCIDENTS IN TUNA FISHING 63 



happens, two strikes, and by good fortune I saved 

 my fish, my companion going forward and taking his 

 place in the bov/ to give me elbow room and the field. 

 I turned the fish at the quarter, the boatman gaffed 

 it, slid it fairly in, and then — then the unexpected 

 happened, which well illustrates the possible dangers 

 of big-fish angling. I was standing up to watch the 

 fish, and as it touched the bottom of the boat it doubled, 

 leaped or sprang into the air, and fell on the gunwale. 

 The next second I was treading water, and the boat, 

 which had sunk by the stern, shot up, bow first, shed- 

 ding oars, gaffs, rods, and the many things that make 

 up the sea-angler's kit. I recall seeing good American 

 pie and a m.eerschaum pipe sailing off from the wreck. 

 We were nearly a mile offshore, and as the boat came 

 up I had backed off. My companion flung his arms 

 about her, and called out that he could not swim. 



It was then that the boat began a mysterious series 

 of movements which I did not understand until later. 

 She rolled over and over, and demonstrated that she 

 would not hold us; so the boatman, who was a pro- 

 fessional swimmer, took the rail on one side and I 

 took the other side, hauling my companion, who wore 

 an overcoat, into the boat, hoping in this way to 

 steady her; but as she persisted in her inclination to 

 roll over we decided to get him stretched out upon 

 the bottom, v/hile the boatman and I swam to the 

 launch that v/as lying six or eight hundred feet off, 

 and whose new engine we saw refused to work. The 

 boat v/as turned bottom up; the unfortunate angler 

 hauled himself onto her, and finding that he could 

 preserve his balance, we struck out. I had on a cor- 

 duroy suit and leggings and heavy shoes, and the 



