226 Big Game Fishes 



thinking that this was enough for even the mouth 

 of a tarpon, I allowed the line to come taut and 

 hooked my fish, hooked it well, as up into the air, 

 fifty feet away, rose a mass of molten silver, which, 

 caught by the sun, flashed and scintillated in 

 a thousand rays, and while in mid-air the splendid 

 creature shook its massive head in a desperate 

 effort to rid itself of the hook. Then down it 

 fell, not gracefully, but like the swordfish, upon 

 its side, tossing the water in every direction. Like 

 a knife the line cut the water, throwing the spray 

 as the fish shot away, taking the line, garner- 

 ing it in yards. Only by mere chance was the 

 fish turned to the right, so that its rush was up 

 the key, upon whose beach we had been running 

 and slacking to wed the fish from the deep 

 channel. It could now be seen racing along near 

 the surface in the great arc of a circle ; now leap- 

 ing into the air, shaking its massive head, endeav- 

 oring to plunge down, tossing its tail out of water, 

 then falling, stopping aimlessly to thrash the 

 water into a flurry of foam. 



There was but one chance to save the fish, and 

 this was to keep it in shallow water and gradually 

 work it in ; and as it rushed over the lagoon we 

 ran, finally going out into the shallow water, 



