SEVEN MARLIN SWORDFISH IN ONE DAY 



day!" boomed Captain Dan, as with big, swift hands 

 he put on another bait for R. C. 



"Do you fellows take me for a drag-horse?" in- 

 quired R. C, mildly. "I've caught enough sword- 

 jBsh for this year." 



"Why, man, it's the day!" exclaimed Captain 

 Dan, in amaze and fear. 



"Humph!" replied my brother. 



"But the chance for a record!" I added, weakly. 

 "Only ten o'clock. . . . Three swordfish already. . . . 

 Great chance for Dan, you know. . . . Beat the 

 dickens out of these other fishermen." 



"Aw, that's a lot of 'con'!" replied my brother. 



Very eloquently then I elaborated on the fact 

 that we were releasing the fish, inaugurating a sports- 

 man-like example never before done there; that it 

 really bid fair to be a wonderful day; that I was 

 having a great chance to snap pictures of leaping 

 fish; that it would be a favor to me for him to go 

 the limit on this one occasion. 



But R. C. showed no sign of wavering. He was 

 right, of course, and I acknowledged that afterward 

 to myself. On the instant, however, I racked my 

 brain for some persuasive argument. Suddenly I 

 had an inspiration. 



"They think you're a dub fisherman," I declared, 

 forcefully. 



" They?" My brother glared darkly at me. 



"Sure," I replied, hurriedly, with no intention of 

 explaining that dubious they. "Now's your chance 

 to fool them." 



"Ahuh! All right, fetch on a flock of swordfish, 

 and then some broadbills," remarked R. C, blandly. 



205 



