The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-18
WAS BATTLE ROYAL
Na~fs
SAW-FISH MAKES GOOD FIGHT
In EFFORT TO GET
AWAY
IS FOUND OFF FLORIDA REEFS
Reseih bIesa- ,svvOrd-Fish in Appear
ance and Its Saw Is It's
Meins of Securing
tH "a Food.
By CHARLES E. Holder.


In drifting along the outer Florida reef
where it reaches out toward Yucatan,
polGng thesdinghy with the gains or spear
reversed, looking for game the eye is
constantly regaled with new strange
and beautiful animals The reef Is a
garden beneath the sea. Here are groves
of coral in almost infinite variety among
which poise- fishes of marvellous hue;
the angel fishes. in red, gold, black and
yellow; parrot fishes in blue, red and
varied tipts; haetodons-veritable crazy
quilts of color-while where the sea
breaks upon the dead coral rock and the
water deepens, are groves of sea palms
and fans in yellow, brown, purple, law
ender and red, forming a panorama IN
which the unexpected is always appear
ing or happening The great reef affords
AN interesting hunting ground for the
rover of game out of the Ordinary with
the spear or line Here basks the black
shark, it's dark form plainly outlined on
the white lagoon bottom. Like a ghost
the great whip ray flies along with bird
like measure, while in the deep channel,
or on its edge, turks the heavy Mexican
barracuda.
In hunting for the black shark at the
head of a long, narrow lagoon on this
reef / had several times caught a glimpse
of az huge fish, which was so wary that
it invariably escaped without enabling
us to make it out Paublo thought it
was large shark, while Chief was
equally sure that it was q saw1sh. The
fish was often seen as we poled along or
sailed up the lagoon, but would shoot
away, making a wide turn, passing us
near the edge of the fringing reef, often
with its back out of water. One morning
sent two boats up the lagoon and had my
man sculI me slowly on the outside, so
that we advanced in a line about 200
feet apart When a. quarter of mile
from Bush Key which stood at the head
Of the lagoon, Chief, who was in the
center, waved his hand and pointed his
gains ahead, indicating that he had
sighted the unlInowns My man immedi-
ately stopped sculling and we Heated,
perfectly quiet7 on the glass-l!ke surface.
In few moments We saw the ripple or
large fish coming down. headed directly
for us It was swimming at a rapid rate,
evidently looking for a little channel
called the "fve-foot' by which it could
reach deep water. AS it came on could
see that it was a giant; its broad back
and long snout stood out and i assumed
that it was a swordfsh. A moment
later I. recognized 4he saw and realized
that the great creature was saWhsh.
The fish did not see the boat until
within twelve feet of it, when it turned
quickly. and succeeded in putting the
gains into its broad back. The response
was unexpected, as the fish rose, lifting
its long snout clear of the water, and
struck a savage blow at the supposed
enemy to one side, then dashed away
with great velocity, carrying big wave
ahead The 200 feet Of line was exhausted
in a few seconds, and when it became
taut the dinghy swung around with such
force that We were both jerked from our
feet Paublo nearly going overheard. In
it's wild rush the fish missed the narrow
channel which led through the reef, and
swan directly down the line Of breakers
beyond which, two miles distant, was the
open gulf.
The pace was terrific. We crouched
in the stern to keep the light boat from
swapping, and even then it was almost
bow under After a race of perhaps a
mile we put out the oars and attempted
to tire the fish, but as this had little or
no effect we manned the gain rope and
began the tedious work of hauling up to
the fish The first move on our part
spurred the fish on to greater exertions
and a powerful swing to the right car
RED the bow under, bringing in volume
of water-unnecessary ballast, as 1t
proved We kept astern as far as posi-
BILE, hauling the rope through an eye-bolt
in the bow, in this way gaining fifty feet
on the fish, which now, especially when
the oars were backed, began to show evil
deRees. of weakening It gradually slow
ed down, and, thinking We had 1t, we
hauled, the boat to within ten feet of the
fish, when it whirled violently, almost
capsizing the boat, and dashed on the
back track, bearing more to the left, TAX
ing ali the line gained. In ten minutes it
became involved in maze Of branch
coral, which rose to within three feet of
the surface, and then grounded. It soon
shook itself free and rolled over into a
small channel into which it sounded, ris-