THE CAMERA-MAN'S DAY 



Our next captive was a grouper, big and ugly, 

 but with a reputation as a chowder fish that in- 

 duced us to save him to that end. Spanish 

 mackerel, sea trout, and channel bass came to 

 our bait, but not a tarpon rose to it that after- 

 noon. 



When the light was too little for his work the 

 Camera-man changed places with the captain, 

 bringing with him the harpoon he carried in his 

 motor boat. There were a few green and many 

 loggerhead turtles in the pass and I paddled 

 gently while he watched out for them. The 

 green turtles were suspicious and shy and we 

 didn't get a shot at one, but the big loggerheads 

 sometimes took a nap while lying on the surface. 

 We saw one asleep outside of the pass and pad- 

 dling more and more like an Indian as we ap- 

 proached the creature, I brought the canoe so 

 near that my companion could have jumped on 

 the turtle's back before it awakened. When the 

 reptile made its funny tip-up that precedes a 

 dive a harpoon was fast in its flipper. The 

 turtle started out in the Gulf while I 

 paddled for the shore, but as the creature weighed 

 more than our entire outfit I thought it no shame 



97 



