Tbe Tarpon 225 



nearly quarter of a mile long, which formed the 

 western barrier of a large lagoon. Near the 

 lower or southern end of this key the bottom 

 rapidly dropped away from three or four feet into 

 the deep channel. On the edge of this I cast 

 a live mullet bait, which sank down into the chan- 

 nel, out of sight, my line resting on the sand over 

 a windrow of shells, Portuguese men-of-war, 

 lanthinas, the purple sea-snail, and many more, 

 tossed up by the sea. The coral sands were 

 fairly alive with hermit crabs. Nearly every 

 shell was preempted, and presently they were 

 crawling over me with the curiosity of their kind ; 

 while out from myriads of holes came w r hite spirit 

 crabs, their glassy eyes alert, ready to dart back at 

 the first alarm. 



A strange place was this key, not a tree or 

 bush, nothing on or in the sand but crabs, and an 

 occasional turtle's nest. While I was wondering 

 how the young turtles escaped so many crabs, my 

 line moved perceptibly, then ran into the water for 

 a foot or two and stopped. By this time I was on 

 my feet and had the line not a moment too 

 soon as it ran swiftly out, I giving, hoping that 

 it was a tarpon, yet fearing a shark. Perhaps 

 fifteen or twenty feet of line slipped away ; then 



