BONEFISH 



the canoe and neither of us had seen him. Our 

 excitement grew tenser every moment. The fish 

 sheered to and fro, and would not come into shallower 

 water. He would not budge. He took one long 

 run straight up the shore, in line with us, and then 

 circled out. This alarmed me, but he did not in- 

 crease his lead. He came slowly around, yard by 

 yard. R. C. reeled carefully, not hard enough to 

 antagonize him, and after what seemed a long time 

 got him within a hundred feet, and I had a glimpse 

 of green and silver. Then off he ran again. How 

 unbelievably swift! He had been close — then al- 

 most the same instant he was far off. 



"I saw him! On a wave!" yelled R. C. "That's 

 no bonefish! What can he be, anyhow? I believe 

 I've got a barracuda!" 



I looked and looked, but I could not see him. 



"No matter what you think you saw, that fish 

 is a bonefish," I declared, positively. "The runs 

 he made! I saw silver and green ! Careful now. I 

 know he's a. bonefish. And he must be big." 



"Maybe it's only the wind and waves that make 

 him feel so strong," replied R. C. 



"No! You can't fool me! Play him for a big 

 one. He's been on twenty-three minutes now. 

 Stand up — I'll steady the canoe — and watch for 

 that sudden rush when he sees the canoe. The 

 finish is in sight." 



It was an indication of a tiring fish that he made 

 his first circle of the canoe, but too far out for us to 

 see him. This circling a boat is a remarkable feat- 

 ure, and I think it comes from the habit of a bone- 

 fish of pulling broadside. I cautioned R. C. to 



131 



