THE ROYAL PURPLE GAME OF THE SEA 



something doing around that boat for a spell! I 

 was positive a German torpedo had hit us. But the 

 explosion was only the swordfish's tail and Dan's 

 voice yelling for another gaff. When Captain Dan 

 got the second gaff iii him there was another sub- 

 marine attack, but the boat did not sink. 



Next came the job of lassoing the monster's tail. 

 Here I shone, for I had lassoed mountain-lions with 

 Buffalo Jones, and I was efficient and quick. Cap- 

 tain Dan and I were unable to haul the fish on board, 

 and we had to get out the block and tackle and lift 

 the tail on deck, secure that, and then pull up the 

 head from the other side. After that I needed some 

 kind of tackle to hold me up. 



We were miles from camp, and I was wet and cold 

 and exhausted, and the pain in my blistered hands 

 was excruciating. But not soon shall I forget that 

 ride down the shore with the sea so ripphng and 

 moon-blanched, and the boom of the surf on the 

 rocks, and the peaks of the island standing bold and 

 dark against the white stars. 



This swordfish weighed three hundred and six- 

 teen pounds on faulty scales at Clemente. He very 

 likely weighed much more. He was the largest 

 Captain Dan ever saw, up to that time. Al Shade 

 guessed his weight at three hundred and sixty. 

 The market fishermen, who put in at the little 

 harbor the next day, judged him way over three 

 hundred, and these men are accurate. The fish 

 hung head down for a day and night, lost all the 

 water and blood and feed in him, and another day 

 later, when landed at Avalon, he had lost consider- 

 able. There were fishermen who discredited Cap- 



41 



