Giant Fish of Florida 
would be to haul in at once; but it is sometimes safe to give 
the case the benefit of the doubt, and to handle the captive 
gingerly at first, until a second blow has made things doubly 
sure. 
Up he comes at last ; a second barb is driven into shell and 
flesh ; and now, being quite sure that there is a firm hold, you 
alter your tactics and haul boldly. As he comes floundering 
to the surface you seize one flipper (careful ! that beak, which 
is fashioned to crush the strongest shells, could easily nip your 
hand off at the wrist !) while the guide lays hold of the other. 
You both keep well on the opposite side of the boat to prevent 
her collapsing, and the turtle, weighing 200 Ib., is finally lifted 
in tail first and laid on his back. You are very careful to keep 
your legs out of his way, for the flippers hit hard and the male’s 
nails tear deep. Blindly in his impotent wrath he flounders, 
striking out in all directions and chipping away planks like 
matchwood if he gets the chance. 
Before hoisting in a turtle, see that your oars are properly 
stowed away. We once landed a heavy loggerhead upon an 
oar half drawn into the boat, with the result that it was driven 
through the bottom, and the accident discovered only when 
the boat was a third full of water. In spite of hard bailing, by 
the time the turtle had been shifted, and the guide had 
whipped off his shirt and stuffed it into the hole, the boat was 
in a sinking condition, and the turtle had most of the fun to 
itself. 
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