82 DEVIL FISHING. 



pleasant episode in the main action ; but the rule 

 which I have prescribed for myself in these narra- 

 tives, will not allow me to say that our sportsmen 

 added this to the number of their trophies, for the 

 fish escaped after a run of several miles ; through 

 no want of force in the hand that wielded the 

 harpoon certainly, for John has brought down from 

 his ancestors a strong right arm, that would have 

 done no discredit to county G-alway. 



This strength was not unattended by generosity, 

 for, on one occasion, when John was cruising for 

 devil-fish, he forgot "to give point," and came 

 down "whack" on the head of his adversary with 

 the flat of his harpoon, and with such amazing 

 emphasis, that the diabolic was completely stunned 

 and thrown off " his fence." Instead of diving, as 

 a discreet fish was bound to do, he rose to the sur- 

 face, lolling out his great eyes at John, as much as 

 to ask, " what the deuce he meant, by dealing him 

 such a confounded blow ?" For some minutes, the 

 fish kept skimming about the boat his wide flaps 

 fluttering, bird-like, over the surface while John, 

 in turn, opened his eyes in astonishment at the sin- 

 gular exhibition. Whether he thought that his 

 adversary came to ask an explanation, and " be 



resolved whether that so unkindly 



knocked or no," or whether he looked upon it as 





