Big Game at Sea 



ing, fencing or broadsword play there is a " let up," 

 time for rest, but in this duel with the amber jack 

 it is all one round, and arms and fingers are stiff and 

 ache. Pressing the thumb on a leather pad for half 

 an hour, holding a stiff rod in one position, is deadly, 

 and the amber jack appears to ha-ve taken its second 

 wind. Perhaps there is a third wind for amber 

 jacks, as suddenly, when coursing along at the sur- 

 face it apparently sees the boat and goes crazy, 

 plunging down to the mad acclaim of the reel, tear- 

 ing off the hard-won line and carrying despair into 

 the angler's soul. 



But this is the beginning of the end, and holding 

 the rod and line firmly the angler dips the point to 

 the surface and lifts, " mans the pumps," lifts for 

 all he is worth, gains three feet on the sulker, then 

 dropping the tip, reels rapidly; and so ever repeat- 

 ing the trick the only remedy when fishes will sulk 

 he regains his lost line and has the splendid fish 

 in sight again. There is a flash of silver, yellow 

 and green, a display of surface below the resilient 

 rod, then the reel works it on to the quarter, and 

 as the patch of color surges, hissing along, the negro 

 gaffer drops his weapon quietly, skillfully under the 

 fish and lifts it just under the gills, holds it firmly for 

 a moment while the spray and spume fly, then depress- 

 ing the rail, he slides the gallant fighter in, where it 

 hammers the bottom as the angler perchance swings 

 his hat to some distant and less fortunate friend still 



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