Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-10-04
piled The skipper, as he put the helm

phsu the skipper, rs he put the helm
harl.a- lee.
Tho steward seized huge glfr hook as
the little schooner came about. She was
put upon new course and gave chase TO
the keg- twas stern chase, but = short
one. The kcg was hooked, and drawn
abroad. THE slack was taken in, and q
pressure was put upon the fish. He made
n slight resistance. The skipper lashcd
the tiller, and came To the assistance of
the steward. Hand over hand they pulled
IN the monster. AS ho ncarcd the vessel
the skipper shoutcd: "Gct the lance,
and stand by to give it to him"
The steward seized the lance and made
ready to plunge ii into the fish MS he broke
water. The steward was standing near
the forcmast.
sect aft, get afl!' ronrcd the skipper,
$50 that you can give it TO him good"
AIT went tho steward. lie stood with
raised lance. The huge fish ncarcd the
boat. His great eye was upturncd He
seemed To sense the gravity Of tho situa.
tion in an instant. AS the steward was
about to hurl the lance, the immense tail
lashcd the water and filled his eyes with
brine. In n jiify the monster was Oft
again. The skipper gave line slowly TN.
ill ut least two hundred feet were taken
out. The fish went To The bottom and
tried to sulk. The pressure, however,
was too great.
All this time the schooner was slowly
holding her course with lashcd tillcr.
Roth men went at the fish with renewed
carncstncss. They worked him from
the bottom incil by inch, holding what
they secured by pressure on the gunwalc.
Finally the monster gave way. lie came
Toward the surface, appearing on each
side OF the ship, and dnrting under the
dory trailing astcrn. Then he made II
break for the bow, and for some minutes
kept neck and neck with the bowsprit.
lie next stationed himself under the keel,
and kept hcndwny with the ship Again
he cssaycd To reach the bottom. Tho
strain was too much. lie took out not
more than fifty feet of line and rested.
His lighting spirit was gone
"Now, rush him, rush him up!" cried
the skipper.
Hand over hand the fish was once moro
drawn to the surface. AS the living blue
log rolled into sight beneath the waves
the skipper seized the lance and made re-
peatcd thrusts into its brain This
stunned the monster and mndc it sick.
H. vomitcd II bushcl or more Of small fish
and rolled stomach upward. In flash
the lance sped into its viinls. The wafer
was dyed with blood. Around the cnor.
nous tail went the blight of rope, and
by the aid of II tackle block the game
was drawn on deck, ils huge head rest
ing upon the bow bulwarl There was
II slight spnsm and tho fish was dead. IT,
WIS over sixteen feet long and weighed
over 400 pounds. lis sword WAS nearly
four feet long and over four inches wide.
AS the great fish died il took on all tho
colors of the rainbow. It's back, head
and sword were nj first of beautiful
bronze, and its under side pcarly silver
in color. a dying dolphin alone could
have shown more lovely tinis. The eyes
were exquisite. They were the size of
ice cream plates. Tho pupils were az
large as half dollars aud as transluctant
ms moonsloncs. The tail was spread out
like the wings of m eagle.
The huge fish was rolled forward and
covered with tarpaulin. The decks
were washed, the snils set anew, and the
schooner Mystery sailed homcwnrd while
the red lights OF II setting sun ilumincd
the ocean.