Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-12-03


man at the wheel to change our
course Slightly to cross in front of
our quarry.
Suddenly the three dorsal fins cut
ting the water near by disappeared.
We crossed and re-crossed what we
deemed to be the area where they
might be found, but there was no
sign. We stood in closer to the larg-
er of the rocky islets. Something
struck on Dwight's tackle, and was
gone again. He reeled in and found
part of his bait bitten off and he
set to work to sew on another. Be-
fore he had finished Rogers called
out as he had done in the bay at
Mazatlan, "Thar she blows!"
A great silvery fish a quarter of a
mile or so nearer the shore line
leaped clear of the water, seemed to
walk on its tail and fell back with a
splash visible from our small
launch.
They're here, gentlemen" de-
clared Sam Chatfield with satisfac-
ton. ut wouldn't be according to
best tradition, however, to catch our
fill the first half hour we're out.
That isn't fishing. Although the last
time l was here we took three in a
short afternoon. That's" He
gripped his rod as his reel whined;
something had struck hard.
That's it, Sam!" shouted Dwight.
"That's a marlin"
Eyes, think so, Dwight"
He let the line run out, then his
body suddenly stiffened. He checked
his reel and pulled hard to sink his
hook. A veritable submarine ex-
plosion followed at the end of his
line, and away the line went for a
long run, while Sam Chatfeld set
tied down in his seat, the muscles
about his mouth set hard, his eyes
intent upon the area of blue water
in which his marlin must be.
"Oh-oh, fellows" shouted Reed
Barton. "I've got something. 'Tisn't
a marlin, though.
$50 have l." echoed Rogers.
They each had hooked a mackerel
of five or six pounds, and we're pro-
ceeding to reel them in when sud-
denly Sam Chatfield's marlin came
to life. The swivel chair under him
groaned and creaked as he braced
himself to hold the giant fish in its
desperate dressings below the sur
face. Little by little he had reeled
it in close, but it was not yet ready
for the gaff. Suddenly the dorsal
fin of a marlin appeared close by
the launch, drawn, as we were soon
to realize. by the rushes of the two
mackerel.
Look, fellows" Reed Barton
shouted. Hes after my fish,"
Indeed it was; the long sharp
sword was pointed in the direction
of Reeds fish, now fighting at the
surface. With an incredible rush
the marlin was upon it, striking it
with his sword.
1t was Rogers who first realized
the danger we we're in; he called a
warning. 81 don't like that thing
too near, Dwight" He started Wig
orously to reel in his own catch.
The next moment saw two wicked
little turquoise blue eyes rising
through the water, cleaning like
sparkling gems as they caught the
rays of the sun. And then some
thing happened.
We were long time piecing to-
gether exactly what occurred in the
next few seconds of time. We went
over and over it to make sure that
we were correct in the sequence of
events, and to the best of our belief
this is what occurred: Sam Chat
fields marlin put on the brakes only
a few feet, perhaps, below the sur
face and not far from the launch.
Sam, thereupon, sat back hard in
his chair, and the swivel mocha
nism beneath him gave way and he
fell suddenly to the deck. The mar
lin must then have executed a turn
and headed back toward his enemy
in the launch.
This accident at the height of the
excitement which gripped US, with
two marlin being played, and Rog-
ers and Reed Barton both Keeling
in smaller catches, which of sud-
den were being pursued by hungry
marlin, was bewildering. Sam Chat
field appeared to scramble to his
feet; he had thought only for his
fish. But the breaking chair I'M
derneath him and his abrupt fall
dislodged the butt of his rod from
its leather socket, which struck him
a hard blow in the pit of the stom-
ach, for he grunted sharply as if
his breath had been knocked partly
from him. He had sufficient strength
to get to his feet and presence of
mind to keep a firm grip on his
rod with single hand, but as he
rose to his feet he was off balance.
The launch was pitching in the
small chop of the waves, and of a
sudden, before we could lift a hand,
he toppled over the stern into the
water.
So startling was this, and so quick
ly did it happen, that no one even so
much as cried out. At the same
time Rogers had risen to his feet in
a desperate effort to swing his small
fish from the water out of the reach