THE ROYAL PURPLE GAME OF THE SEA 



"The sea's alive with swordfish!" cried Captain 

 Dan. "It's the day!" 



Then I awoke to my opportunity. 



Round the east end, close to the great black 

 bluff, where the swells pile up so thunderously, I 

 spied the biggest purple fin I had ever seen. This 

 fellow came to meet us — took my bait. I hooked 

 at him, but did not hurt or scare him. Finally I 

 pulled the hook out of him. While I was reeling in 

 my line suddenly a huge purple shadow hove in 

 sight. It was the swordfish — and certainly one of 

 immense size — ^the hugest yet. 



"He's following the boat!" yelled Captain Dan, 

 in great excitement. 



So I saw, but I could not speak or yell. All was 

 intense excitement on that boat. I jumped up on 

 the stern, holding the bait Captain Dan had put 

 on my hook. Then I paused to look. We all 

 looked, spellbound. That was a sight of a lifetime. 

 There he swam, the monster, a few feet under the 

 surface, only a rod back of the boat. I had no calm 

 judgment with which to measure his dimensions. 

 I only saw that he was tremendous and beautiful. 

 His great, yard-wide fins gleamed royal purple. And 

 the purple strips crossed his silver sides. He glowed 

 in the water, changed color like a chameleon, and 

 drifted, floated after us. I thought of my brother 

 Reddy — ^how he would have gloried in that sight! 

 I thought of Dilg, of Bob Davis, of Professor Kel- 

 logg — other great fishermen, all in a flash. Indeed, 

 though I gloated over my fortune, I was not selfish. 

 Then I threw in the flying-fish bait. The swordfish 



loomed up, while my heart ceased to beat. There, 

 4 49 



