glory of the fish departing as soon as he is withdrawn from his
native element.

But this habit of digression grows upon one, and I must do my
best to check it, or I shall never get through my task.

To resume then: when this school of dolphin (I can't for the life
of me call them CORIPHAENA HIPPURIS) came alongside, a rush was
made for the "granes"--a sort of five-pronged trident, if I may
be allowed a baby bull. It was universally agreed among the
fishermen that trying a hook and line was only waste of time and
provocative of profanity! since every sailor knows that all the
deep-water big fish require a living or apparently living bait.
The fish, however, sheered off, and would not be tempted within
reach of that deadly fork by any lure. Then did I cover myself
with glory. For he who can fish cleverly and luckily may be sure
of fairly good times in a whaler, although he may be no great
things at any other work. I had a line of my own, and begging
one of the small fish that had been hauled up in the Gulf weed, I
got permission to go aft and fish over the taffrail. The little
fish was carefully secured on the hook, the point of which just
protruded near his tail. Then I lowered him into the calm blue
waters beneath, and paid out line very gently, until my bait was
a silvery spot about a hundred feet astern. Only a very short
time, and my hopes rose as I saw one bright gleam after another
glide past the keel, heading aft. Then came a gentle drawing at
the line, which I suffered to slip slowly through my fingers
until I judged it time to try whether I was right or wrong, A
long hard pull, and my heart beat fast as I felt the thrill along
the line that fishermen love. None of your high art here, but