Part 43 (1/2)

”Way-o!” suddenly came the cry from theup and looking around

”Three points on the starboard bow, sir,” answered the sailor, pointing his finger

”That's right enough You're in luck, Dr Jiers, ”you won't have had long to wait if we catch this one for you”

The captain walked aft, saw that everything was clear on deck, then stepped forward and walked out on the bowsprit to the 'pulpit,' the characteristic feature of a swordfish schooner This was a small circular platform about three feet across, built at the end of the bowsprit, with a rail waist high around it and a s seat

Triced up to the jib stay was the long harpoon with its head, known as the 'lily-iron'

The schooner, having the wind abealiding swiftly through the water The captain, standing like a statue, waited until the craft ithin ten feet of the unconscious swordfish, then thrust doith all his th behind the blow caused the steel to pierce the thick skin of the swordfish At the sa around which the line had been wound was thrown overboard, and the water flew up like a fine jet from the rapid revolutions of the barrel as the swordfish sped aith the line

”How in the world are you going to haul hi thrown overboard

”Did you think we pulled him in, same as you would a cod?” asked the captain

”Why not?”

”Toothe schooner!” was the reply ”That isn't the way to get a swordfish”

As soon as the line on the barrel becahtened with a jerk and the barrel disappeared under the surface But the resistance that the barrel full of air at the end of the long line gave was great and even the powerful swordfish could not tow it for long In a few minutes he slackened his speed and the barrel bobbed to the surface But the swordfish was still traveling like a railroad train, in short rushes, however, here and there

”See hie it!” cried Colin

There was a swirl of water and with a speed which seee body launched itself at the barrel But there was no resistance, the keg revolved as the sword struck it, and the swordfish shot into the air Again and again he charged, and Colin realized what danger lay behind that ton and a half of ht at sixty ain the Monarch of the Sea shot away, towing the barrel, but it was a disheartening drag, even upon the reat swordfish Little by little the rushes became shorter, the spurts less frequent, as exhaustion and loss of blood began to tell The captain ordered out the boat and, at his earnest appeal, Colin was allowed to go

”You're light,” the captain of the schooner said, as he picked up a lance not unlike a whale lance, ”and we don't want ht pull the barb out of the fish if he starts to run”

”This re whales in the Behring Sea,” and he recounted the adventure briefly as they pulled toward the swordfish The Monarch of the Sea, who had never had a chance to show his powers, being handicapped by the barrel dragging back his every ht of the boat He did not wait to be attacked, but rushed with renewed fury at this new foe The captain, apparently unmoved, waited until the fish rose at the boat and then he thrust in the lance with all his strength The force acting against both fish and boat drove the latter sideways a foot or iant rose in the air not two feet fro like fine rain as the wind of his leap whistled by

[Illustration: CATCHING SWORDFISH WITH ROD AND REEL

Dangerousthe lers

_By perain in a minute,” the captain said quietly, ”look out always for the second rush”

The words were scarcely out of his lips when the fin appeared Once again, as before, that great y hurled itself at the boat, but twenty yards away there came a sudden check and the swordfish dived A second passed--so long that it seely to hear the crashi+ng of the timbers and to see that fearful weapon flash up between the machine shot up fro limply, turned on his side, dead

The captain ser,” he said, ”I reckon this boat would be on its way to the bottom now”

CHAPTER X