Big Game at Sea 



cause of its pain, though possibly its big black eyes 

 took in all foreign objects in sight. Had the fish been 

 able to grasp the situation it would have seen an 

 angler standing, rod in hand, staring with amazement 

 at the leap, and a boatman, a long, iron-tipped gaff in 

 hand, gazing over his shoulder, equally astonished 

 and perhaps perturbed, as this was the first time in the 

 history of a great fishing ground, that is visited every 

 year by thousands of people, that a swordfish had 

 been hooked by an angler with rod and reel. 



The swordfish was not disturbed by reflections of 

 any kind. Of an uncertain and vicious temper it was 

 annoyed, then maddened by being held by something 

 it could not see, and dropping into the water it dashed 

 away in blind fear and fury, still feeling the strange, 

 uncanny check which seemed to follow it as a sheet 

 of foam. Cutting the water one hundred, two hun- 

 dred feet, it shot ahead with the speed of light, then 

 still held, still in the toils, it again sprang into the air 

 with frenzied shake and twist, whirling itself from 

 side to side, striking terrific blows in search of the 

 invisible enemy. Falling, the swordfish plunged 

 downward, sounded, and reached two hundred feet 

 below the surface and the bottom, then turned, and 

 rose with a mighty rush, going high into the air again, 

 whirling itself completely over in its madness, so that 

 it fell upon its back, beating the sea into a maelstrom 

 of foam and spume, in its blind and savage fury. 

 Again it leaped into the air, and still again, and 



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