e; "this is hardly fair. Why
you're the best fisherman after all. That's it, let him go every time
he makes a dart like this: now he's slacking again. Wind up, sir, wind
up."

Jack obeyed very clumsily, for it wanted practice to hold the big wooden
winch steady with one hand while he wound with the other, and before he
had recovered ten yards the fish made a fresh dart, not astern, but away
nearly at right angles with the course of the ship, tiring itself by
having to drag the now curved line through the water.

"Now again," cried the mate; "wind--wind."

Jack's inclination said, "Give the line over to the man who understands
it," but pride said "No"; and he wound away till the wheel was nearly
jerked from his hands by a fresh dart made by the captive.

And so it went on for some minutes, till the fish began to show symptoms
of becoming exhausted; so did Jack, upon whose face the perspiration was
standing in beads.

"Here, Lenny," cried the mate, "go and get the big gaff-hook. We shall
have this fellow."

The man ran forward, and Jack, with eyes fixed, began to play his fish
with a little more _nous_, but it was terribly hard work.

"Tell me when you're tired," said the mate.

"Now."

"Shall I play him for you?"

"No, no! Don't touch it," cried Jack, who was unaware for some moments
that he had an audience to look on.

"Oh no, I won't touch till you tell me," said the mate.

"Bravo!" cried the doctor; "capital. Well done, Jack, that's the way.
I ought to have been here. Why you've got hold of a thumper."

So it proved, for the fish showed no sign of giving in for another
quarter of an hour, and various were the comments made as to the
probability of its being got on deck; but at last the darts grew shorter
and shorter, and far astern they saw a gleam from time to time of
something silvery and creamy as there was a wallowing and rolling on the
surface, and now the mate took hold of the keen hook attached to a light
ten-foot ash pole.

"Perhaps you'd like to gaff him, Doctor Instow," said the mate.

"No, no," replied the doctor. "Fair play. You two were fishing. Land
him yourself."

"What shall I do now?" said Jack, who was panting with his exertions.

"Let the winch go down on the deck, and haul the fish in hand over hand
till you get him close in."

Jack followed his instructions, and the captive, completely exhausted,
now came in fast enough, proving to be far larger than any of those