THE BOOK OF THE TARPON 



I paddled as if for life, with the vision of the 

 shark-tarpon tragedy fresh in my mind. I re- 

 minded myself that no shark had ever been 

 known to attack a living human being in North 

 American waters, but I could not shut out the 

 sight of those cruel jaws closing through the liv- 

 ing body of the big fish. I tried to talk cheer- 

 fully to the captain to keep the grisly specter 

 from his mind, but my breath was wasted for he 

 didn't hear me and he remarked to me after- 

 wards : 



"I ain't often afraid of sharks, but I was 

 scared blue that time. I kept thinkin' of that 

 tarpon and every time I kicked I could feel the 

 shark behind me. I didn't say anything, 'cause 

 I was afraid of frightenin' you, but you bet I 

 was glad when we got among the breakers in the 

 shallow water." 



The beast of a shark chased me around all that 

 night and the captain confessed at breakfast that 

 it had bitten him in two a few times. 



We resolved to keep out of the pass when the 

 big waves were breaking across it, even though 

 we had to cut loose from a promising tarpon. 

 Our good resolution was like those made on the 



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