View PDF - Brown University Library

Swordfishing 113downward. Gradually the strain slackened."In this time, hand over fist," saidTom. "Now get your camera ready.Shoot him full of holes!"He seized a short, sharp lance, snubbedthe harpoon-rope around a thole-pin, andplunged the lance to the hilt in the fish'sgills. Again and again he stabbed asthe swordfish writhed in the water. Thedory floated in a scarlet sea. Not twentyfeet away the fin of a shark appeared.Tom threw down the lance and seizedthe gaff. With a sudden lunge he hookedup the fluke, threw a slip-noose around it,and made the rope fast to a thwart. Inthe green water alongside the glitteringgiant lay dying, his life-blood ebbingaway in a copious stream.The sloop was several miles away, andwe signalled to her by up-ending one ofour oars. Soon the beat of her exhaustwas clearly heard, and the water waswhite at her bows. The swordfish washoisted to the deck. It lay between theengine-house and the bulwark, with itssword pointing skyward. With certainother creatures of the sea it showed thereflected radiance of the sky, combiningthe plum-blue of a summer night with asilver like that of the moon. Its gillswere coppery gold in occasional flashes.Along its back ran glimmers of burningbronze. Its eye, as large as an apple,was a baleful jewel."Ever see a fight like that before?"asked Tom triumphantly."No, I never did," I said. "That wasa record-breaker.""We don't usually have any trouble.I'm about done up.""To-night," said the cook, brandishinga cleaver with the most good-naturedsmile in the world, "we'll have a partyfor the sharks."The sword was lopped off, and the head.was preserved for this purpose. Tailand entrails were thrown over the side.A flock of Mother Carey's chickens atonce gathered about them, only to bedispelled when a greedy hag chased themaway with threatening cries, reserving thetempting viands for itself.With a plunge we came to anchor. Assoon as our sail was furled the swordfishhead was fastened to a rope and thrownVOL.LXVI.—9overboard. Almost at once a large sharkrolled up from the deep and commencedto browse upon the gills, burying his nosein the floating head. The camera clickedagain, and the next instant a lance wasthrust through the intruder's body. Witha tremendous thrashing he disappeared.Although a swordfishing vessel willoften cruise for days without sighting asail, other boats had been visible all daylong, and as night fell a diminutive fleetconvened. The breeze had freshened, aheavy swell was rolling in, and the ridinglights tossed high in the midst of vacancy,for we were far at sea. Dories were interchanged,pipes were lit, decks of cardswere shuffled. Astern the sooty petrelsdanced on the water, seeking crumbs fromthe fisherman's table.Fog and a high wind greeted us in themorning. We lay at anchor all day,tossed like a cork. Walking the deck wasan acrobatic feat. Sharks were frequentenough to make a dip over the side adoubtful pleasure. The fish head waslowered over once more, and the skipperlanced several. One old veteran madelittle of his wounds, but returned to theattack until his gills were cut to ribbons.A wide variety of life was seen in thatempty ocean. Whales rolled by, porpoisesplunged through the water. Thehag, that swift bird that resembles asmall albatross, was constantly to be seen.With its long, pointed wings it sweptthrough the air without effort, balancingthis way and that to avoid the crests ofthe combers.Early the next morning a semicircularblur of white light that the fishermen calla "fog-eater" appeared on the horizon.In a short time the driving mist thatcoated our garments with infinitesimalbeads of moisture became thinner, thenbroke away in a mass. The swell wasrunning high, but not too high for fishing.The windlass was broken, and our backsached under the strain of weighing anchorby hand.As soon as we were under weigh I wentaloft to try some snap-shots from thecrosstrees. For the average landsmanwho only cruises once a year the crosstreesseem high on the first visit. Moreover,in a heavy sea the mast takes uponitself, by mathematical necessity, several