The Silver King 



majesty and stood on his tail, towering He Rose in His 



above me, for he was over six feet tall. I 



immediately grabbed him in my arms with 



a grip born of desperation, for I knew it 



was my last and only chance to secure a 



tarpon. The boat was dancing about on 



the crest of the sea and the north wind 



howled. The palmettos on shore lashed 



their broad fronds as they bent before the 



gale. It was a difficult matter at best to 



keep one's feet, but with a slippery silver 



giant in one's arms it was a wonder that we 



both did not go overboard. 



But I held on to him and got him down A Slippery 

 in the bottom of the boat. No sooner ( 

 down, however, than he was up again. 

 This time he slipped from my grasp and 

 went down full length on the bottom with 

 a noise like the felling of an ox in an 

 abattoir, causing the men to pause in their 

 work and look around. 



"Let him go!" shouted the Captain. 

 " He'll knock the bottom of the boat out 

 and drown you ! " 



" I'll risk it," I replied. " I won't let 

 133 



