Evening star., 1925-05-31

this direction, then, swimming deep, In
a semi-circle II made toward the Islan
! of MORO, some seven miles distant
| but after about an hour IL swung more
| to the left. heading for our anchorage
at Taboga. We were, of course. ut
| terly unable to guide this dogged. pow
erful creature, but Robbie was await
| ing the moment when he could start
up the engine, and, If necessary, re
verse against il. But for the present
| this was out of the question, for pow
erful as our line was IL would have
been burst like piece of thread.
The fish now started back toward
Taboguilla.
It's circling in" 1 said How
| these big fellows always make for
home again.
Past the sandy beach of the island
we travelled. and on arriving off the
| rocky paint commenced in the same
direction as when we first hooked it.
1t was now travelling in a circle. first
toward Flamenco. then heading for
our Taboga anchorage, via Morro and
back to Taboguilla, finishing where 1t
was originally hooked.
I've never seen anything like it, ]
said.
AS ] spoke there came a jarring on
the line. Hard back it swan
doubling on it's tracks. but fortunately
the yacht swung round in time to ed sc
the strain.
We were now covering the same
waters again, but in the opposite di.
rection. Quite unexpectedly, the taut
line slackened, then hissed through the
water in toward us as straight under.
| meath the boat the fish dashed. Now
surely something must give, but the
tackle stood the shock. though the
yacht quivered as the fish was brought
up short. Momentarily 1t appeared to
be discouraged. for it commenced to
| sulk, moving very slowly only a few
yards at a time.
Again came a violent agitation on
the rope; by the erratic motion and
the strain on the capstan it was clear
what was taking place. The FISH was
struggling madly deep down, twisting z
and turning to burst free. How l
prayed there would be no break, though
L really expected il every minute. I
knew the hook must by now be driven
completely through some hard portion
otherwise it would have come clear
long ago.
THE fish now shot ahead in a series
- of short rushes. While 1t was
swimming stolidly there was little need
to worry, but | was becoming more
anxious each moment-when up to the
surface it came-a mighty saw ap-
peared. to be followed by a dreadful
lashing of water Then deep down it
plunged again.
It's huge sawfish," l cried, but it
can't fight like this much longer
We were now close off the shore of
TaboguiIla. Nearly five hours had
gone by since we struck this mighty
battler, and the only excuse | can
make for what followed is that the
long-drawn-out fight had got on my
nerves. With all the experience l had
or should have had, from the numbers
of great fish captured, it is incompre-
hensible why, against all common
sense, 1 should suddenly have been
guilty of one of the most asinine
stupidities ever heard Of
l conceived the idea that as we were
near inshore, by reversing the engine
we could work closer still, then join
ON another line to that which held the
fish and fasten the end to the dinghy,
cast off at the capstan and ra pidly row
the dinghy ashore, fixing the now
much-lengthened rope round one of
fish to the beach.
1t seemed quite practicable We
Joined on further hundred yards
and slowly reversed the engine
creeping astern toward the beach.
The FISH appeared to have finally
surrendered, seeming utterly exhaust
ed Robbie and the boy brought the
dinghy round toward the bow. where
upon 1 dropped the yachts anchor
and stopped the engine.
/ Throwing the line off from the cap
stan, got quickly into the little boat
and we started to pull toward land
| This we had almost reached when
with violent jerk, the line tight
ened on the stern of the dinghy tC
which it was fastened
| IT'S off again. | exclaimed.
| We struggled madly to reach the
shore, realizing there was nobody or
| board the yacht but Lady Brown
who certainly could not get the an
] chor up, start the engine alone and
come to our rescue.
Robbie and the boy were frightened
to death; the little dinghy was being
| towed out backward
Quite helpless, faster and still faster
out to sea we were being dragged
Freed from the incumbrance of the
yacht, our trifiing weight was of nc
| consequence to the fish.
We had shot about so yards past
the Cara when the dinghy. by reason
of its being towed stern first Slowed
sideway and turned turtle, fiingins
| the three of us into the water.
| For minute or two l hung on tt
the partially submerged boat, which
now empty, though waterlogged
would not sink, but quickly realized
] . oh of
drawn away still farther from the
yacht.
Robbie and the boy Cboth splendit
swimmers) reached the Cara in nj
time, and with Lady Browns assist