Giant Fish of Florida 
seeking for the smoke of the steamer that they hope will 
have been sent to their assistance. It is two hours or 
more since the giant was first harpooned, and it is tiring 
sufficiently to allow of its being brought now and again to 
the surface to receive a Winchester bullet or two in its 
spine. Its mighty wings still flap, however, and it is like 
some great unwieldy water bird for ever struggling onwards. 
And now the welcome smoke can just be seen in the 
distance, though it will take the steamer a good hour to 
reach the ground, and goodness knows how many hours to 
tow such a flotilla home. 
Only two hours of daylight remain, and one of these 
is well nigh gone ere the steamer comes along, and 
promptly crashes into the somewhat erratic harpoon boat, 
striking her fair amidships, almost the worst disaster of 
the day. Fortunately she was a nice limp boat with scarce 
a sound rib in her, and she gave so freely to the sudden 
blow that little fresh damage was done and she leaked but 
slightly more than usual. The rest of the day’s sport, the slay- 
ing and towing ashore of the giant ray, was a matter of time 
only, yet, curiously enough, when that man went harpooning 
devil-fish again he went alone. The rest of the company 
had somehow lost all taste for such weird recreation. 
106 
