Big Game at Sea 



towing thirteen boats, in each of which were two 

 men. The most of these boats were heavy sixteen- 

 foot boats used for tarpon and sea fishing, while some 

 of them were gasoline launches. All had been done 

 that could be done by the generals in the fight. The 

 policy was to finally tire out the monster and then 

 drag him ashore. 



It was about half past ten o'clock when Kline 

 threw the harpoon. Eleven o'clock came and the ray 

 was scurrying around in the gulf with apparent utmost 

 ease. Out to the ocean buoy, away beyond the Pass 

 buoy, he took us. Around the ocean buoy he went 

 with his string of boats, and round it again. Once 

 he went so close to it that we thought he would 

 foul us on the chain of the beacon, but there was 

 no trouble. Then out in the gulf he went until the 

 land had almost faded. Back he came again, some- 

 times in a way to show he had lost nothing of his 

 vitality and strength, and then again he was moving 

 slowly enough to excite the cry from boat to boat, 

 " He's all in," " He's giving up," " He can't last 

 but a few minutes longer." But words of cheer of 

 this kind died on the lips when the fish would gather 

 up his strength and make taut the line of every boat as 

 he fairly flew through his element. Twice, when he 

 was circling, he took short cuts and went under 

 the boats. In each case it was for all the world like a 

 mad beast surrounded and it had resolved to break 

 through. As he made these moves there was a, 



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