The Salmon of Monterey 209 



brought it to the quarter, when Bill reached for 

 it, but away it would rush, acting I thought 

 very strangely. 



It was after one of these runs that I felt a 

 slack line, and thinking the salmon was run- 

 ning in on me I reeled fast and brought to the 

 surface the head of a forty-pound salmon bitten 

 off as clean as though a knife had performed the 

 operation. This aroused no little excitement. 

 The man who made the wager claimed the 

 money; I had not landed a salmon, only the 

 head of a salmon. Bill quoted authorities, in- 

 cluding Herbert Spencer, and demonstrated that 

 sharks were not to be considered. It was a 

 difficult point for the stakeholder to decide, 

 but he was a Solomon in disguise he gave each 

 man back his five dollars and peace reigned. 



Not ten minutes later I hooked another fish 

 which ran off with nearly all my line, and but 

 for Bill's fine manipulation of the boat I should 

 have lost it. I was still fearful of sharks and 

 worked the fish hard, and had the satisfaction 

 of seeing it come up and make a clever leap into 

 the air before I brought it to the net. 



In landing this fish we drifted inshore again 

 out of the school and fleet, and when we had 

 admired the beautiful creature and packed it 

 away, it was evident that something had hap- 

 pened as we trolled for half an hour without a 

 strike. The fleet was separating, hunting for 



