THE BOOK OF THE TARPON 



She was reefed down to the last points, with just 

 enough jib for steerage way and was plugging 

 along, graceful as a Chinese junk. Half an hour 

 later as we boarded her she was banging v about in 

 a heavy sea, without breeze enough to keep her 

 main boom from threatening to knock off our 

 heads. 



"Glad to see you back!" was the captain's wel- 

 come to us. "I was scared one time." 



"So was I, but I thought you knew the Irene 

 well enough to pull through without our help so 

 we staid and had our fun out." The captain's 

 only reply was to turn his back on me. 



Waves in the shallow waters of the Gulf, 

 though often short and ugly, subside quickly, 

 especially when the storm has been local and an 

 hour later we were gliding up the Florida coast 

 with the sun as bright, the sky as blue as before 

 the squall, and nothing in Nature but the slow 

 heave of the Gulf to remind us of all that had 

 happened. 



"Excitement is over for the day, I reckon," 

 said I to the captain as he stood at the wheel of 

 the Irene. 



"Mebbe it's jest beginnin'. See them clouds 



