The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-06-16
FAST TO ASWORDFISH
BY John X. Cotton.

by JONI n. OOLCOu.
sat upon the masthead of the
schooner Evangenne, beside Bunker
Rowe of the crew, true dog" as
the expression goes at sea. We were
looking for swordfish. of in the deep
water round the edges of Georges
Bank, and enjoying the wonderful
sights to be seen at sea from so high
An elevation.
you see where that strong rip
throws up off there, don't you?" said
Rowe, pointing to stretch of twirl-
ing, choppy sea, indicating shoal
several miles down to leeward OF us.
well, in that place thought was
going to lose my life once, and every
time / run by here look upon 1t as
q youngster does on hot iron that
has once burned him.
81 was in the My Fancy that trip.
Swordflsh either hadn't struck here
so early or we're scarce, and the
weather had been bad for two weeks;
all hands were 'f1shy' enough to
tackle a whale or anything else that
came along.
Late one afternoon just before
the time of day the swordfish usually
go down for the night, we got in
range of a regular school Of them,
filming about where we are now,
and just as fast as the skipper in
the pulpit could drive his irons. he
harpooned them one after another,
until we mad every man of the crew
out in dory fast to a fish. had
been at the masthead on the look
out; but when the last one was struck
went below to put off after him in
my turn.
II saw when the captain made the
shot that the iron, instead of striking
him just forward of the fin and driv-
ing all the way through the fish as it
should, had struck well back toward
the tail at an angle, and instead of
usually the case when the iron
strikes, that fellow jumped clear up
out of the water, and then started off.
81 didn't like the looks of that, but
man going fishing is bound to take
his chances as they come. so jump
ed into the dory and put of, follow
ing the course Of the keg-buoy. The
fish headed eastward. and ran about
ten miles in deep water. Then I saw
by the key that ne had changed his
course, and was coming back across
me.
81 pulled ahead to the course he
seemed to be taking, and padded to
head him off. When the key came
along to me, grabbed it and took
it aboard.
"a swordfish, when he Is we'll
'ironed. will make for the deepest
water he can get, and going to the
bottom, there he will stop and start
ahead as he loses and gains strength
But this fellow didn't tire at all, and
I knew by the rate he was going
that l might be towed fifteen or
twenty miles from the vessel. and
might have to stay out all night SO
the first little slack got on the line,
began to take in and pay out as
had to. in order to tire the fish out.
THE first fathom took up, he
veered of to the southwark, and in
a zigzag course he drove along about
as fast as it is safe for dory to go.
with any sea on.
81 passed within a short distance
OF the vessel. and Of one after an.
other Of the other dories; then
straight on to southwark we went.
THE big fellow kept well at the
bottom for more than an hour with
out showing himself. He veered to
right and left with turns SHARP
enough to throw me overheard II
had not hung on to the gunwales
The buoy-line swished and cut
through the water, and the nose OF
the dory plowed so deep that moved
as far aft as dared to, to keep hel
from dipping below the surface.
81 took the two thwarts and placed
them in the bottom Of the dory to
stand on, in case the fish should TURF
on me. Then placed my lance and
big knife where they could be reach
ID easily. and stood watching the