THE MARLIN OR SPEARFISH 



Would he have gone through or under 

 the boat had we not altered our course? 

 I wonder. 



As the line became taut the fish jumped 

 clear of the surface. He jumped in all 

 twenty-two times and in thirty-five minutes 

 came alongside belly up, when it was found 

 that he was hooked in the tail. 



The fish was beautiful to look at. The 

 greater part of his body was bright silver 

 and he was striped with translucent royal 

 purple stripes an inch wide. His back was 

 dark green bronze and his tail and fins were 

 mauve. 



When in the water he is a blaze of glory 

 but the colours soon fade after the dead 

 fish is exposed to the air. A mounted marlin 

 gives one an idea of the graceful shape of 

 the fish but no idea of his real beauty of 

 colour. 



It took us some time to hoist the dead 

 fish on board, for although a fish only weighs 

 in the water the number of pounds that the 

 [85] 



