THE GLADIATOR OF THE SEA 



I saw him — ^huge, brown, wide, weaving after my 

 bait. Then he hit it with his sword. I imagined 

 I could feel him cut it. Winding in, I founk the bait 

 cut off neatly back of the head. While Dan hur- 

 ried with another bait I watched for the swordfish, 

 and saw him back in the wake, rather deep. He 

 was following us. It was an intensely exciting mo- 

 ment. I let the bait drift back. Almost at once I 

 felt that peculiar rap at my bait, then anothet. 

 Somehow I knew he had cut off another flying-fish. 

 I reeled in. He had severed this bait in the middle. 

 Frantically we baited again. I let out a long line, 

 and we drifted. Hope was almost gone when there 

 came a swift tug on my line, and then the reel 

 whirred. I thumbed the pad lightly. Dan yelled 

 for me to let him have it. I was all tingling with 

 wonderful thrills. What a magnificent strike! He 

 took line so fast it amazed me. 



All at once, just as Dan yelled to hook him, the 

 reel ceased to turn, the line slacked. I began to jerk 

 hard and wind in, all breathless with excitement and 

 frenzy of hope. Not for half a dozen pumps and 

 windings did I feel him. Then heavy and strong 

 came the weight. I jerked and reeled. But I did 

 liot get a powerful strike on that fish. Suddenly the 

 line slacked and my heart contracted. He had 

 shaken the hook. I reeled in. Bait gone! He had 

 doubled on me and run as swiftly toward the boat 

 as he had at first run from it. 



The hook had not caught well. Probably he had 

 just held the bait between his jaws. The disappoint- 

 ment was exceedingly bitter and poignant. My re- 

 spect for Xiphius increased in proportion to my sense 



18d 



