THERE S MANY A SLIP, ETC. O 



up to the surface, and so on, until in about fifteen 

 minutes from the start he was dead beat, having had a 

 real warm time. 



We then gained possession of our net, which at the 

 commencement of hostilities we had placed up against 

 the rock; but our man, upon seeing the position of 

 affairs, M'aded down to us, took the net, and tried to 

 pass it over the head of the fish; but the net being 

 small we feared that the triangles in the snout of the 

 fish might get hitched up in the meshes, so we told him 

 to drop the net and tail the fish. 



Tliis he did, and we breathed freely, thinking that the 

 fish was as good as landed ; but such was not to be, as 

 the sequel proves. 



The fish's tail was very thick, and our man, thinking 

 he had not a sufficiently secure hold to enable him to 

 get safely to laud, lifted him high up with his right 

 hand, while with the left he tried to hold the net under 

 him, intending to drop him into it, to make assurance 

 doubly sure. 



We told him to put the net into the water, so that 

 when he let the fish go the water might take the weight 

 off the net. However, before he could follow orders, 

 he somehow or other let the fish slip from his grasp, 

 with the fatal result that he went through the net like 

 a flash of lightning, the hooks tearing a hole for him to 

 pass. We were still hoping to feel the line tighten ; 

 but no, it came back to us severed just above the bait, 

 the triangles remaining in his mouth, while the body of 



