THE CAPTAIN WINS A WAGER 



Rodger's River, and carried us a mile up the 

 latter before surrendering. I had tried to play 

 the fish lightly, but the strain had been constant 

 for two hours, leaving me with the toothache in 

 both arms. 



"You must be tired paddling," said I to the 

 captain. "Just take the rod and rest for an hour 

 or so while I paddle the canoe." 



The captain grinned as he took the rod, for he 

 had made scarcely more than a dozen strokes 

 with his paddle in an hour. The tarpon had 

 towed the canoe and an occasional slight turn of 

 the paddle kept us in the creature's wake. 



Rodger's River, where not a tarpon could be 

 found the previous day, was now full of them 

 and the captain struck a splendid specimen be- 

 fore he had trolled two minutes. After two or 

 three jumps, the tarpon made as straight a course 

 up the stream as the winding river would permit 

 and traveled as steadily as if he had been broken 

 to harness. Sometimes he stopped to rest until 

 the captain pulled up on him when he gave a 

 playful jump and started on up the river. 



' 'Member the tarpon we lost in the cut-off 

 yesterday?" inquired the captain. 



159 



