Evening star., 1901-05-31
HUNTING THE SWORDFISH
EXCITING AND DANGEROUS SPORT
ON GEORGES BANK.
Habits of the Fish as Described BY an
Old Slkipper-Incidents OF
the Chase.
From the BostsJn Transcript.

| From the Boston Transcript.
Hard a-port. There she finsr' 1t was a
lusty shout from the lookout aloft, and the
schooner promptly woke up. Jed and Tom
and Manuel. who had been lazily trimming
swordfish blades sitting in the shadow of
| the mains'l, leaped to the rail and
searched the horizon for fins Luke came
| tumbling out of the "focsle' accompanied
by the cook. and Silas took the other side
of the wheel and helped the skipper bring
the vessel around with that beautiful curve
in the blue water that shows how we'll she
| minds her hellum.''
| 'Whereaway is she now Bill?" sung out
the skipper as the Hannah Manley came
around into the wind. thrmped her jumbo
block a few times swung over the booms,
and stood off on the other tack with brisk
morning breeze.
! Port 'er pint. putty nigh dead ahead
| Can't We see er yit with 'er fins A-stickin
out clear UP to 'er back?'
Over went the wheel spoke two and
the striker in the pulpit on the far end
! or the bowsprit gave a gleeful grunt he
! caught sight of the two tell-tale dorsaI fins
showing up across the wash of a wave
The long-handled harpoon was swung from
| its resting place and poised obliQuely ready
| tor throw Jed looked at the line and
parrel attached to the steel dart in the head
| OF the harpoon and everything ready
to cast over. Tom and Manuel glanced at
the dorles and stood ready to hoist and
|
| The Quarry Sighted.
| Ihere she is" yelled the skipper and
then they all saw the quarry. comfortably
| summing itself on the surface of the water
rising and falling with the swell, unmind-
1ul OF the deadly purpose of the approach
! ing enemy. Down hellum" said the strik-
er. quietly, but with suppressed excitement
ior IL was now two days since there had
oeen peer any sport, and every man of the crew,
| 1ull OF the Vitalizing influence of keen
ocean air and a freSh-beef diet, was spoil
\ ing Tor light. anxious for work. aching
| TO get INTO the game and do something.
| All right; steady now said the striker
! and the great purple mass of the fish was
almost under the bow when he raised the
| long harpoon free from its rest and poised
IT moment, ready to cast. 1t was an
anxious second or two, for there is always
danger that the prey may take fright and
dart away if the strike is delayed. But it
| is unwise to cast before the schooner is
! near enough for sure throw. So the
| striker must keep his nerve and wait until
| Just the right moment. 1t was here at last.
| The missile flew through the air, nearly
straight down. and with leap and
| splash the victim dove and ran. but could
not shake off the steel dart its pursuing
| line. Over went the coil of rope and the
| barrel at the end of it, followed in few
| seconds by the top dory in the nest with
| Tom and Manuel in it. Then the schooner
! came around, the striker fitted another dart
upon his harpoon, the lookout renewed his
| vigilance, and the man in the dory picked
| up the barrel and proceeded leisurely to
| haul in the slack line to find where the
| sWordtish was lurking.
| From the deck the others watched them.
| After pulling in and coiling up fifteen or
twenty fathoms is suddenly frightened, Tom
| took a quick twist around his hand and
| braced back with one big foot forward to
! bear the strain. The dory was moving UP
| into the wind. slowly at first but with
| increasing speed. and as the schooner huff ed
tD wit hin hail Manl,el ts
be making and lighting cigarette with
| Portuguese skill in his big, red fingers and
| the submarine motor was still punsing
ahead like a steam engine out into the At
| lantic in the direction of the coast OF
| Spain
| Fighting Fish.
| After a few minutes the speed grew less.
| and Tom could detect a lesscning strain
| upon the line. Manuel took the oars, and
| when the slackness was clear began to
| pull back away from the fish. Hes a
reg'lar ole fighter, and he's agon' to charge
! UNI said the skipper, watching from the
| main rigging. where he had climbed for a
| better view of the battle; and the predic-
| tion was correct. Tom was hauling in the
| slack rope hand over hand, Manuel was
| pulling steadily with the wind, his oars
| flashing in the sun like silver. when sud
| denly the watchers on deck saw Tom step
back in the boat and give signal of warn
| ing to Manuel, who also rose to his feet
| Then the boat received shock, and Tom
with his lance, made desperate jabs over
| the side. The ole rascal has speared
| um,'' said Luke. and then. as Tom began
to pay out the line, but he didn't hit um
| fair and now he's runnin away again"
| Again the boat was towed furlong or
| two. once more the line slacks. and the
| Wearied fish is hauled up near the boat
where his captors can see his cleaning
! sides. One more spasmodic. struggling
rush, and he was drawn close alongside
the deadly lance did its work in his vitals
| t1it 10 in,
! gloriously to the stern of the boat still
alive and vainly throwing his broad tail
about, but exhausted and helpless
| Tame enough the remainder of the
| task. Alongside the schooner the four
hundred-ponnd victim was hosted to the
deck by tackle hooked to the lashings about
his tail, the sword was chopped off before
he had time to injure any one in his strug-
giles. and all hands eagerly watched the
ofiing for more ''finnn." as the schooner
cut through the ripping brine. before a
| taking an occasional dash of spray over the
| bow. while the striker in his pulpit" tran
| quill and stold again. turning his auid oc-
| casonaliy and gazing out over the sea, was
| alternately lifted and lowered over the
! troughs, and crested in his little cage like
| an angle worm on a fish hook over a rim
| pie in trout brook
Yankee Comes Out Ahead.
Hard down." came another yell from
aloft, followed by successive directions Of
| easy. hold 'er there, port a bit" as the
! vessel approached those two trianpu
lar fins erect above the water and demon
strating by their size and distance apart
the weight of the fish to which they he
long. What's the White Wing doin'
| 'spose?' said Jed, another schooner
came bearing down upon them. why.
blast i'm, he's a-chasn' our fish," said the
skipper, who thereupon yielded the wheel
to Tom and went to the weather rail. the
better to size up the situation. The other
vessel was driving right down the wind
bowling along at good. smart rate. ali
sail drawing, and three lookout men in her
tops. Ease off a Bit" yelled Bill from
the crosstrees. but his voice was lost in a
tremendous roar from the skipper to his
| unceremonious guest
Blast yer black hide you Portuguese
sandfea. up hellum an outer here, or Wen
sink ye"
Words sounding something like Yankee
timer came from the other deck and the
two schooners proceeded on their several
ways. which converged to meet at the place
where the basking swordfish lay In the sun.
| prize for the winner in the contest On
the deck Of the White Wing confusion