Big Game at Sea 



moment the jacks drove the dark line of sardines 

 closer in. They seemed to be acting by some pre- 

 concerted arrangement; now darting into them in 

 platoons or long lines, and with such force that they 

 penetrated the mass of small fry and went spinning 

 out upon the sands, to leap and bound about, finding 

 their way again into the silvery mass. 



My boatman, who, I found, had the government 

 contract for providing the garrison fish supply, was 

 now standing knee-deep among the fish, catching the 

 jacks by the tail as they floundered among the sar- 

 dines, and hurling them high and dry upon the beach. 

 In this unique manner he caught scores, while num- 

 bers leaped so high up on the sands that they could 

 not reach the water again, and so became victims to 

 their own temerity and madness. For half an hour 

 this exciting scene lasted, then, satiated with the spoils, 

 the jacks drew off, leaving the beach covered with 

 their own forces and the sardines, while all along 

 shore a dull red cloud floated away, telling the san- 

 guinary story. The noise of the beat had at the very 

 onset attracted the laughing gulls, pelicans, and man- 

 of-war birds, that dashed into the melee and gorged 

 themselves with the wounded small fry, adding not 

 a little to the excitement of the scene, which well 

 illustrated the war waged by the stronger upon the 

 weaker in all life. 



These beats were of common occurrence in their 

 particular season, April, May, June, and when the 



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