THE BOOK OF THE TARPON 



have had, you can hook your thumb in the tar- 

 pon's mouth, drag him over the side of the canoe, 

 and you will get all you want. But it is better to 

 be satisfied with what you have done unless 

 you care for a bath. You have had your sport 

 for the day, your cruising boat may be miles 

 away, but you are never too tired to stand in the 

 bow of the canoe while your boatman paddles 

 you home. You continue to study the water, 

 perhaps throwing your harpoon occasionally at 

 channel bass or smaller fish for practice and the 

 pan. You count the day's work as done, yet it's 

 dollars to doughnuts that if you catch the gleam 

 of a tarpon's scale you will begin the day over 

 again. 



Hunting tarpon with a harpoon is several 

 games rolled into one, and is the only sport I 

 have known that never palled upon me for a mo- 

 ment. When I cease to enjoy it, it will be be- 

 cause it can no longer be said of me: 



"His eye was not dimmed nor his natural 

 force abated." 



