30 TEE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOTS 



lowered him into the calm blue waters beneath, and 

 paid out line very gently, until my bait was a silvery 

 spot about a hundred feet astern. Only a very short 

 time, and my hopes rose as I saw one bright gleam after 

 another glide past the keel, heading aft. Then came a 

 gentle drawing at the line, which I suffered to slip slowly 

 through my fingers until I judged it time to try whether 

 I was right or wrong. A long hard pull, and my heart 

 beat fast as I felt the thrill along the line that fishermen 

 love. None of your high art here, but haul in hand 

 over hand, the line being strong enough to land a 250 

 pound fish. Up he came, the beauty, all silver and scarlet 

 and blue, five feet long if an inch, and weighing 35 

 pounds. Well, such a lot of astonished men I never saw. 

 They could hardlj' believe their eyes. That such a daring 

 innovation should be successful was hardly to be believed, 

 even with the vigorous evidence before them. Even 

 grim Captain Slocum came to look, and turned upon 

 me as I thought a less lowering brow than usual, while 

 Mr. Count, the mate, fairly chuckled again at the 

 thought of how the little Britisher had wiped the eyes 

 of these veteran fishermen. The captive was cut 

 open, and two recent flying-fish found in his maw, 

 which were utilized for new bait, with the result 

 that there was a cheerful noise of hissing and splutter- 

 ing in the galley soon after, and a mess of fish for all 

 hands. 



Shortly afterwards a fresh breeze sprang up, which 

 proved to be the beginning of the N.E. trades, and fairly 

 guaranteed us against any very bad weather for some 

 time to come. 



Somehow or other it had leaked out that we were to 

 cruise the Cape Verd Islands for a spell before working 



