only to illustrate the incomparable savageness of
these tigers of the Gulf Stream.

The captain put the fish away and cleaned up the boat and we resumed
fishing. I ate lunch holding the rod in one hand, loath to waste any
time on this wonderful day. Sailfish were still jumping here and there
and far away. The next thing to happen was that R. C. hooked a small
kingfish, and at the same instant a big one came clear out in an
unsuccessful effort to get my bait. This happened to be near the reef,
and as we were going out I hooked a big grouper that tried out my
small tackle for all it was worth. But I managed to keep him from
getting on the bottom, and at length brought him in. The little
six-ounce tip now looked like a buggy-whip that was old and worn
out. After that nothing happened for quite a little spell. We had
opportunity to get rested. Presently R. C. had a sailfish tap his bait
and tap it again and tug at it and then take hold and start away. R.
C. hooked him and did it carefully, trying not to put too much strain
on the line. Here is where great skill is required. But the line
broke. After that he took one of my other tackles. Something went
wrong with the engine and the captain had to shut down and we drifted.
I had a long line out and it gradually sank. Something took hold and I
hooked it and found myself fast to a deep-sea, hard-fighting fish of
some kind. I got him up eventually, and was surprised to see a great,
broad, red-colored fish, which turned out to be a mutton-fish, much
prized for food. I had now gotten six varieties of fish in the Gulf
Stream and we were wondering what next. I was hoping it would be a
dolphin or a waahoo. It happened, however, to be a beautiful cero
mackerel, one of the shapeliest and most attractive fish in these
waters. He is built something like the brook-trout, except for a much
sharper head and wider fins and tail. But he is speckled very much
after the manner of the trout. We trolled on, and all of a sudden
raised a school of sailfish. They came up with a splashing rush very
thrilling to see. One hit R. C.'s bait hard, and then another, by way
of contrast, began to tug and chew at mine. I let the line out slowly.
And as I did so I saw another one follow R. C.'s mutilated bait which
he was bringing toward the boat. He was a big purple-and-bronze fellow
and he would have taken a whole bait if it could have been gotten to
him. But he sheered away, frightened by the boat. I failed