He belonged to the same species as those wecatch at
Catalina. I knew he would hit it, and so Icalled out. The launch I was to use had
the name Alma G.
I heardsome one speaking of a wonderful bird
following the ship, so I at onceran out.
I let himrun a hundred feet, and then
struck.
Like allgood fishermen, they were boys at
heart.
By handling him gently I savedboth fish and line.
We made for outside, and wentfully twelve miles.
I whooped my congratulations ending with, Lucky
Mitchell! Someone showed me a picture of New Bedford whaling ships at anchor in
thebay. This was proofthat the spearfish, or Marlin, can and do ram fish. When we
had half of it off, two hundredand fifty yards, I shut down on the drag, and as
R.
By handling him gently I savedboth fish and line.
Iwanted much to run over there and give them some instructions, but Imanaged to
refrain.
I knew he would hit it, and so Icalled out. Leaping
for my tackle, I called for Arlidge to run around in frontof the nearest fish.
Mullet and garfish were breaking the surface of the still waternear the beach.
Unquestionably, it had been made by the bill of the swordfish. I looked in time to
see a Marlin back of the left teaser. He was not over three hundredyards from the
ship.
Then heswirled up, showing half his bronze body,
huge, glistening. The largest of those we raised was twice the size of this one.
Faintstreaks or rays of blue, fan-shaped spread to the zenith.
Then I heard an exquisite birdsong, but could not
locate the bird. Some angler hooked a fish and went off to the north. Finally I got
so curious to see the resultthat I had my boatmen follow.
The boatman felt the loss even morekeenly than
I.
I did not feel that anythingmuch would happen, so I
contented myself with watching the other boats.
At the hour-and-three-quarters mark I shut down on
thedrag and let him pull. Cape Brett, however, loomed up black andclear, a reliable
landmark for fishermen to watch.
Cape Brett, however, loomed up black andclear, a
reliable landmark for fishermen to watch.
While beginning another drift oneof the other
anglers hooked a fish and started out to sea.
The markings differed enough to convince meit might
be another albatross. It sort ofaggravated me to watch these boats run away with a
fish. Unquestionably, it had been made by the bill of the swordfish.