The Florida Jewfisb 299 



various incidents more or less racy, dragged, I 

 fear, from the deep, unfathomable recesses of his 

 imagination. One story apparently was true. 

 A tiger-shark had leaped after a swimmer climb- 

 ing aboard a yacht and had carried him down. 

 The shark was plainly seen moving about, eight 

 or ten feet away, doubtless awaiting the rejecta- 

 menta of the culinary department. I baited with 

 a live yellowtail, as dainty and alluring a three- 

 pound fish as could be found on the reef, and 

 almost before it had reached the bottom, the line 

 stiffened out in a steady strain in my experi- 

 ence the typical strike of the shark. I waited for 

 the line to run out, but the shark evidently was 

 peacefully swallowing the bait ; then I saw it ris- 

 ing out of the depths dimly against the blue, and 

 thinking that it was coming to the surface, struck 

 with all my strength. No shark, nearly every 

 kind of which I have caught, ever hurled back 

 so sturdy a defiance. It was irresistible, and the 

 line tore through the water with the peculiar 

 hissing sound which carries a fascination with it. 

 Fifty yards clear away the fish dashed, before it 

 could be stopped, and all this time the tiger-shark 

 was slowly rising, plainly not a party to the pro- 

 ceedings. I was in a light dinghy, my man cast 



