Part 22 (1/2)

”Look out now, Colin,” the boy's father called ”He'll see the boat in a minute!”

He did On the instant he saw the launch and the three e, the body bent and shot into the depths again

”Watch out for the jerk!” the older angler cried, and as the fish reached the end of the slack line there was a sudden tug which Colin felt surehad co the thu came, the reel was free, and it rattled out another fifty feet, the boy gradually beginning to apply the pressure again and to feel the tuna at the end of the line

One hundred, two hundred, three hundred feet of line reeled out at this second great rush, and the older ht I to try and stop him with the brake, Father?” asked the boy

”Better not try too hard,” caht of the line that is out is a heavy pull on him Unless he's a monster he'll have to stop soon”

Fifty feet e of action at the other end of the line telegraphed the ers that the tuna, for the first tiue From over four hundred feet away Colin felt the call and realized that now he ht to the end and never make a slip One error, he kneould be fatal; one jerk, and the line would snap, one strain too great, and the strands would give way

He began to reel in His back ached and his fingers beca to let the line run out as the tunain would be spoiled in thirty seconds In forty ained not a in carefully, the fish either sulking or resting, in the next few ain and pulled in until there was not more than one hundred feet of line out

His heart was beating high with hope, when the tuna sighted the boat again and darted away, apparently as fresh and full of fight as when he had at first been hooked

At this last rush, when it appeared that there was no i of the powers of the splendid fish, Major Dare said:

”Do you want me to finish him for you?”

In his inive up, but he did not want to admit it He was utterly inexperienced in the sport and knew nothing of the lers relieve themselves of much of the strain, but the boy's nerve was untouched, and he set his teeth and answered:

”I want to bring him in all byshot But if you think I ought to let you finish it, why, I suppose I'll have to”

”No, I want to see you bring him in,” his father said; ”only don't kill yourself at it It's just as well not to overstrain yourself; it's easy to have too rit was soon rewarded, for after this rush, the tuna changed his tactics, and sinking down to about thirty feet froan a steady powerful swi about two hundred feet of line out To the boy's surprise the boat began to slip along at a fair rate of speed, and he saw that ry, towing a heavy boat with three people in it at a rate of five miles an hour by a line no thicker than a hairpin With constant watchfulness and deft ain a few inches at a time But a few inches make but little difference when there is two hundred feet of line out!

For over twenty ed Though not by any means exhausted, the first undaunted freshness had worn off and, sulky and savage, the fish charged back at the line again, that strange white thing in the water that he could not shake off and that followed hi back at the line, as before, he found the boat at the other end of it

The return charge had been slower than before, and the big multiplier on the reel had done its work, so that when the tuna came near the boat not more than seventy feet of line was out, and the boy deter the surface of the water, the tuna turned But this tiin a rush He would not plunge in the direction of his captor, and Colin kept a steady strain upon the line, forcing the tuna to swim round and round the boat This was fatal to the fish, for Colin was able to keep a sidewise drag upon the line, giving the tiring creature no chance to turn its head and dash away

”You're playing very well!” the boy's father approvingly said, as he sa, unconsciously, the lad was adopting tricks of angling some experienced fishermen never really learn

Colin flushed at the praise, and kept closer watch of the constant strain on his line The boatain thrust the boat forward, giving the lad a chance to take incircles Suddenly he ht and the brake held hiiant body in spite of itself and preventing the dive

The attempt had cost the fish full thirty feet of liberty, and the boat was very near With a little pu the point quickly and reeling in the foot or so gained, the boy's father showing hiht the fish still nearer Once et slack enough for a plunge This ht ain, but again the fish was checked, Colin having the line reeled up almost to the wire leader, and with a quickness that onderful in its accuracy, the boataff under the jaws of the tuna There was a short, sharp flurry, but Vincente knew every trick of the gaallant fish on board

”Two hours an' ten minutes, sair,” said the boatman ”An' I t'ink, sair, zat it's over a hundred”

”You did splendidly, Colin,” began his father ”Why, what's the matter?”

he continued in alar pale and sick

”I' His hands were tre so that he could not hold the rod, and his face was ashen