350 Recreations of a Sportsman 



though it should be explained that in all such 

 instances the flying fish was terrorized by the 

 ship or by large fishes. At these times the fly- 

 ing fish makes the most remarkable flights. No- 

 ticing a charge of tunas and albacores upon a 

 school of flying fishes one day off Santa Cata- 

 lina I rowed my boat into the line of march and 

 carnage. The water was smooth, yet coming 

 slowly on was a mass of white caps that cov- 

 ered several acres. The large fishes were ehas- 

 ing a school of flying fishes, driving them up 

 the coast of the island. In a few moments I 

 was in the midst of them. Flying fishes were 

 darting in every direction. They came toward 

 me like arrows, and I was constantly alert to 

 avoid them. One, chased by a tuna, passed over 

 my boat, so near me that I moved my head aside 

 to avoid being struck. I watched it attentively. 

 The fins were fixed, its large black eyes staring 

 like glass beads, with a strange stony expression, 

 the fish moving as rapidly as a man could run, 

 while under the boat dashed its nemesis, a large 

 tuna, that thus followed it, seizing it as it struck 

 the water fifty feet away. 



So demoralized were these flying fishes, that 

 they sought shelter beneath the boat, moving 

 about sluggishly, as though unable to further 

 resist. The tunas were magnificent creatures 

 six or seven feet in length, types of agility and 

 strength, the otherwise smooth sea being cov- 



