Giant Fish of Florida 



would be to haul in at once ; but it is sometimes safe to give 

 the case the benefit of the doubt, and to handle the captive 

 gingerly at first, until a second blow has made things doubly 

 sure. 



Up he comes at last ; a second barb is driven into shell and 

 flesh ; and now, being quite sure that there is a firm hold, you 

 alter your tactics and haul boldly. As he comes floundering 

 to the surface you seize one flipper (careful ! that beak, which 

 is fashioned to crush the strongest shells, could easily nip your 

 hand off at the wrist !) while the guide lays hold of thCipther. 

 You both keep well on the opposite side of the boat to prevent 

 her collapsing, and the turtle, weighing 200 lb., is finally lifted 

 in tail first and laid on his back. You are very careful to keep 

 your legs out of his way, for the flippers hit hard and the male's 

 nails tear deep. Blindly in his impotent wrath he flounders, 

 striking out in all directions and chipping away planks like 

 matchwood if he gets the chance. 



Before hoisting in a turtle, see that your oars are properly 

 stowed away. We once landed a heavy loggerhead upon an 

 oar half drawn into the boat, with the result that it was driven 

 through the bottom, and the accident discovered only when 

 the boat was a third full of water. In spite of hard bailing, by 

 the time the turtle had been shifted, and the guide had 

 whipped off his shirt and stuffed it into the hole, the boat was 

 in a sinking condition, and the turtle had most of the fun to 

 itself. 



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