226 Big Game Fishes 
thinking that this was enough for even the mouth 
of a tarpon, I allowed the line to come taut and 
hooked my fish, hooked it well, as up into the air, 
fifty feet away, rose a mass of molten silver, which, 
caught by the sun, flashed and scintillated in 
a thousand rays, and while in mid-air the splendid 
creature shook its massive head in a desperate 
effort to rid itself of the hook. Then down it 
fell, not gracefully, but like the swordfish, upon 
its side, tossing the water in every direction. Like 
a knife the line cut the water, throwing the spray 
as the fish shot away, taking the line, garner- 
ing it in yards. Only by mere chance was the 
fish turned to the right, so that its rush was up 
the key, upon whose beach we had been running 
and slacking to wed the fish from the deep 
channel. It could now be seen racing along near 
the surface in the great arc of a circle; now leap- 
ing into the air, shaking its massive head, endeav- 
oring to plunge down, tossing its tail out of water, 
then falling, stopping aimlessly to thrash the 
water into a flurry of foam. 
There was but one chance to save the fish, and 
this was to keep it in shallow water and gradually 
work it in; and as it rushed over the lagoon we 
ran, finally going out into the shallow water, 
