THE BOOK OF THE TARPON 



him," was my reply and the next minute one of 

 the family was over my head, fiercely shaking his 

 wide-open jaws to get rid of the hook. But the 

 hook was fast and I hung to the line through the 

 tarpon's first run, though the canoe was nearly 

 capsized before the captain could head it for the 

 flying fish. The thwarted creature, after three 

 wild leaps, headed straight for the canoe and, 

 diving under it, brought the strain of his weight 

 on the tip of the rod which broke in two parts. 

 I clung to the butt and, as the fish was of medium 

 size, soon brought it to the captain's hand, despite 

 the broken tip. 



We had now no rod nearer than the Irene, 

 which was five miles distant, but the fish were in 

 biting humor and the opportunity was not to be 

 lost. There was a hand line in the motor boat 

 and I handed it to the captain, for my muscles 

 were aching and I thought to rest them with the 

 paddle. The broken rod was left with the 

 Camera-man for both the hand line and the cap- 

 tain were strong, mix-ups with big tarpon cer- 

 tain, and a swim in the river the probable out- 

 come. 



While the captain fished, my work with the 

 148 



