3IO Life and Sport on the Pacific Slope 



lips. We sat at the feet of another hero, Mr. W. 

 Greer Campbell, who had fished persistently for 

 more than a month, and, eclipsing all records, had 

 brought five tunas to the gaff. Both he and Col. 

 Morehouse had fished for tarpon in Florida ; both 

 awarded the palm to the tuna. 



"The tuna," said Mr. Campbell, "knows all the 

 tricks of the tarpon, and a few of his own. Both 

 belong to the mackerel family, but the tuna is the 

 high muck-amuck of his clan. You fish for tarpon 

 sitting in a boat, with the bait upon the bottom ; 

 you must troll for tuna behind a power-launch." 



The days passed, and the speaker added three 

 more fish to his bag ; two were gaffed in one day ! 

 Four other men had a fish apiece to their credit — 

 no more. 



" How do you do it ? " we asked. 



" I fight them from the start," he replied, " and 

 keep on fighting. I know what my rod and reel 

 can stand, and 1 have the best boatman in southern 

 California. Much of the credit is due to him." 



Finally, business summoned the hero elsewhere, 

 and my brother and I secured James Gardner, 

 Campbell's boatman. We also engaged the same 

 launch that Campbell had used, and in my hands 

 were placed the rod and reel that had done such 

 effective work. When my brother met me in the 

 hall of the hotel at 3.30 the next morning the spirit 

 of prophecy was upon him. He vowed that he had 

 slept but a brief two hours, and had dreamed of a 

 gigantic tuna which he had hooked and fought. 

 But the issue of the combat had been left in 

 doubt. 



