A Tiger of the Sea 



pound amber fish and floated in the pathway of the 

 killers, some ten miles out in the channel. After 

 several days of waiting, a long line of killers came 

 swimming along, and by rare good fortune ran foul 

 of the amber fish and took it. The line was held 

 until it came taut, then four of the fishermen pulled; 

 and that they hooked the huge creature was evident, 

 as it leaped into the air and swung itself so violently 

 that it dropped partly on its side, lashing the water 

 for a few seconds, then sounding. During this brief 

 struggle, the remainder of the school appeared to be 

 intensely excited, darting about as though in search 

 of the cause of attack, then sounding. In a few sec- 

 onds the line was jerked overboard and the launch 

 plunged ahead, her bow deep in the water, the men 

 going aft to lighten her. The killer towed them 

 four or five miles, then finding it impossible to move 

 the animal or haul it in, or the launch over it, they 

 cast off the line and box. The killer had now 

 reached the deep part of the channel, given by the 

 fishermen as " no bottom," and apparently appreci- 

 ating this fact, the killer sounded and carried the 

 large white box out of sight. That it exploded 

 under pressure was probable, as it did not come up, 

 at least, was not found, and the big game anglers, 

 who had hooked one of the largest of the sea animals 

 capable of being hooked after the fashion of fishes, 

 returned to shore, convinced that a " killer " could 

 not be stopped, at least in this manner. 



H5 



