The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-06-16
line as it cut through the water.

| WUeu We uhu gone SO TAT LQdt
could hear the roar of that tide-rip
yonder, began to wish he would
keep off in deeper water, where there
would be more distance between him
and me.
He swung and SHE'D as we drew
into shoal water, and by watching
the marks on the buoy-line, saw that
| he was gradually running in from
eight hundred fathoms to where
there were barely ten. Then into the
twirling rips we shot, and my troubles
| began.
Il Kept steady strain on the line.
and began to coil every inch of slack
In the basket at my feet, to guard
| against getting tangled up in it.
Then the first thing knew the line
| grew slack all of sudden, and the
| dory shot along under her Roadway.
II knew what that meant.
dropped the line and jumped on the
| two thwarts which made double
| bottom beneath me. Then stood
there, waiting for something to hap
| pen.
THE first thing noticed in the
water was an ugly-looking shark. at
| tracted. no doubt, by the bleeding
swordfish. l watched his curious
movements for minute or two. and
turned to look for the vessel, when
with swish up shot my fish. clear
out of the water not ten feet away.
Back he fell, with a tremendous
splash and a Stat of his powerful tail.
when l saw his size, monster
eyes. and his long Jagged sword. and
this show of life. felt rather ner-
vous. Down he went, and coming to
the surface again he began to make
a circle round me. I didn't know
| what to do. This was new move
to me.
Il watched him for few seconds,
expecting to see him start off-but
he did not start. He kept circiing
round the boat, and grew so uneasy
that l picked up the oars and stood
ready to pull away. should he come
for the dory.
81 watched the big fish breathe and
dive. l could plainly see his big,
saucer-like eyes, which seemed to
stare at me all the time, and his
stumpy, triangular fin, and his ragged
| edged sword, and the pink slit cut
in his black back. where the iron
had gone, drawing the buoy-line in
behind it. He seemed to be taking
sort of inventory Of me and my
dory; at least he was In no hurry to
move away
When got the slack all in, stood
there for some minutes, waiting for
the fish to make move; but he
didn't move. drew the line taut.
Bracing both feet in the bow of the
dory, ! pulled with all my might. 1t
still held for second; then it gave
way, and over went backward in
the dory.
HE was coming now. I felt sure.
jumped up as quickly as l could.
and grabbing the line, began to
gather in the slack, but the line came
faster than l could pull it in. When
that happens every swordfisherman
knows what it means.
'He was coming straight for me.
dropped the lie. and put one foot
u. on the rising on each side of the
dory. l stood up. out of reach OF
his sword. steadying myself with an
oar.
II had turned to look down into
the water, when a solid jolt struck
the dory, and with little crackle,
in shot that fellows sword. fair
through the middle of plank below
my left foot
THAT big. stout rough-looking
sword, pointing straight at me. was
not a pleasant sight, especially as I
knew that on the other end of it
was body of eight hundred pounds
or more of powerful fish.
"The dory at. once began to move
ahead broadside to. l saw the big
fellows head right beneath the rail
from where stood. The big sword
worked back and forth sidewise. and
1 could hear the light pine plank rip
and split. Then the water began to
squirt in round the sword and along
the overwhelming crack. The dory
rocked from side to side.
II began to get jumpy.' I threw
both hands to the rail nearest the
fish, and hung on to keep from pitch
ing out when he rolled the dory over.
should have hung on and kept still
until he tired himself out, and then
lanced him-but I didn't.
THE planking ripped along its
whole length so fast that. not know
ing what to do. or even just what
was doing. I let go my grip on the
gunwale. and when the dory came
to an even bottom, I made one jump
into the air. and bringing both feet
down together. landed on his sword,
and went sprawling in the bottom
of the dory. had broken his sword
OF near the nose.
Il picked myself up as quickly as
1 CT ~s1tx