Tarfrn Wishing in Florida 



cover my dazed senses. This momentary 

 respite was a great refreshment ; and when 

 I took the rod back again, I felt that I, 

 in my turn, had got my second wind. 



I was determined now to try more 

 strenuous efforts ; and I began to adopt 

 the forcing process, of which I have writ- 

 ten earlier, by means of which I was en- 

 abled to reel in more line, and compel my 

 victim to approach nearer the boat. We 

 had, however, another half-hour's earnest 

 tussle before I could put him alongside 

 the gunwale, where Pierce could have a 

 deliberate blow at him. Before this mo- 

 ment arrived I had to undergo the disa- 

 greeable emotions resulting from getting 

 my line wound once round his body, to 

 free which required care and cautiousness 

 on my part. It is necessary, when the 

 fish is nearly exhausted, to be constantly 

 on one's guard that the huge swinging 

 tail does not come in contact with and 

 cut the line, as it readily will do. As a 

 final horror I discerned, when my line 

 was becoming short, what looked like a 

 large knot midway between the reel and 

 the ring of my tip. I realized that if it 

 were one, unless it would pass through 

 the ring I should probably lose the fish, 

 and I felt very apprehensive. It proved, 

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