THE G1EUS DAY 



couldn't lose him and our candid estimate placed 

 his length at seven feet and his weight at one 

 hundred and seventy-five pounds. It may be re- 

 marked, en passant, that this estimate proved to 

 be within fifteen per cent, of the truth which, as 

 such estimates go, was more remarkable than the 

 size of the fish. 



Within an hour the tarpon leaped out of the 

 water a score of times, often clearing the sur- 

 face by eight or ten feet. The Girl exhausted 

 herself in fifteen minutes, but while she rested, 

 the tarpon took upon his own shoulders the job 

 of wearing himself out. He dragged the canoe 

 through the pass and half a mile down the coast 

 and then returning, explored the harbor. The 

 day belonged to the Girl and not to the camera 

 so the canoe was kept fifty yards from the fish 

 which slowly tired itself out without making the 

 bewildering rushes that imperil the tackle of the 

 fisherman. There were occasional mild rushes 

 when the tarpon overcame the brake on the reel 

 and gained a few yards, but the line lost was 

 soon recovered and at last the canoe was floating 

 beside a fish that had ceased to struggle. We 

 paddled to the beach beside the pass and, step- 



83 



