Evening star., 1922-05-07


to move about more or less. and from
the bow to the stern Of a sixty-ioot
yacht hardly gives me room to work
off my surplus energy. Cramps N.Y.
style, too. Also, / want to see
everything on both sides of the boat
and I'm curious to know the names
of the different islands and capes
we're passing, and what those red
buoys in the channel mean. and why
the gulf looks light green in some
spots and dull brown in others.
heard Capt. Mears telling the mate
that he'd nearly gone hoarse answer
ing all my fool questions, And Barry
Platt is almost as much Of pest.
He spends half his time trotting up
to the bridge and back.
But Inez will plant herself COM
Portable in a deck chair under the
after awning and stay there for hours
without moving or turning her head
or wanting to be told about things.
Yesterday we sighted sea turtle
as big as a dinner table. summing him
self almost on top of the water, and
she stared at him blankly without
missing a stroke on her gum. OF
course, she'd never met q sea turtle
before, but that fact didn't get her
Q bit excited.
"Huhr' says she. when we passed
on to her all the dope we'd cork
screwed out Of the captain. He'd
mako lotta soup, eh?"
And when we sailed close to Gas
pari1la Island and came in through
Boca Grande pass and fed her the
tale Of how this was supposed to be
where one Of the wickedest and most
Industrious pirates of the Spanish
Main used to make his headquarters
she only yawned and asked how soon
we thought supper would be ready.
An hour or 50 later. as we anchored
of Useppa and looked ashore at the
high she'll banks, the neat white cot
tages and the cocoanut palms wav-
Tag their plumsd fronds over the
water. she did almost come to life
for an instant.
Pretty, eh?" says she.
Calm yourself. Inez." says I. I'VE
had noticed it. And the mate says
this is one Of the best tarpon fishing
spots on the west coast"
What kinda fish is that" asks
1nez.
T pass" says I. He seems to
think it's the thing to do to catch
one, though. so I expect we ought
and haul in a few
Maybe I'll get some after sup
per-" says Uncle Nels. producing his
bamboo pole that he's brought along.
\ y y
T ATER on. when Barry and 1 start
ed for shore in the motor tender
to stretch our legs, we left both of
them watching the cork floats that
they had dropped from the stern. But
say. if you want to see something
that's real easy to look at, try 'Jseppa
when the moon is full and a soft !
easterly breeze is wandering across |
Pine Island Sound. Barry just raved |
over it. and when he found there was
a cute little nine-hole golf course on
the key he went simply dippy over |
the place 7 could hardly drag him
back to the wharf at 9 o'clock. That's |
where we saw these queer-looking
motor boats with the revolving desk !
chairs in 'em.
Whats the idea?" asked Capt.
Mears. Cant the bank presidents |
even go boat riding without all the |
1uxuries of their private Offices? And /
why not rolltop desks and fling cab
inets. too?"
''Them's guide boats. Ma.am." ex-
plains the captain. What they use |
for tarpon fishing
But 1 don't see the sense of the |
swing chairs" I insists. !
You would, ma'am," says he, 'if
you ever got a 150-pound tarpon |
thrashin' around at the end of zoo |
yards of 42-pound test line, breakin'
water every few minutes. and acting
as ornery as they know how You'd
be right thankful for a swivel chair,
then, I reckon. and a butt socket and
patent drag, too"
"oh. come, captain" says l. "You
don't mean these tarpon things are
as big as that. Why, that would be
bigger than Barry. We're tenderfeet,
know. but there are limits to what |
we'll swallow"
Capt. Mears only grinned You
don't have to take my word for it,
ma'am." says he. There's one hang
in up on the weighin' frame just the
other side Of the boat house. Maybe
you'd like to step around and take a
1oon at him."
co WE did. And he hadn't lied on
- an inch or a pound. There was
this great silver fish. almost as tall
as I am and weighing ten pounds
more, ITO prove it. Also we gather
ed that when a tarpon first strikes
the spoon he's a bad actor. and that
sometimes it takes two hours to land
one
Heavens says I. what IL Uncle
Nels should catch one on that bamboo
pole of his? Why. he might be pulled
overheard
Don't worry. ma am" says the cap
tain. He won't catch no tarpon with
that tackle, nor where he's fishing.
II you folks want to try for 'em, I've
got a couple of tarpon outfits aboard,
and I'll engage a boat and a guide
"Oh, I'd love to" says 1. $50 would
Uncle Nels. And Barry. you might
come along with your camera and
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