Theboyhadgivenhimtwofreshsmalltunas,oralbacores,whichhungonthetwodeepestlineslikeplummetsand,ontheothers,hehadabigbluerunnerandayellowjackthathadbeenusedbefore;buttheywereingoodconditionstillandhadtheexcellentsardinestogivethemscentandattractiveness.Eachline,asthickaroundasabigpencil,wasloopedontoagreen-sappedsticksothatanypullortouchonthebaitwouldmakethestickdipandeachlinehadtwoforty-fathomcoilswhichcouldbemadefasttotheothersparecoilssothat,ifitwasnecessary,afishcouldtakeoutoverthreehundredfathomsofline.
Nowthemanwatchedthedipofthethreesticksoverthesideoftheskiffandrowedgentlytokeepthelinesstraightupanddownandattheirproperdepths.Itwasquitelightandanymomentnowthesunwouldrise.
Thesunrosethinlyfromtheseaandtheoldmancouldseetheotherboats,lowonthewaterandwellintowardtheshore,spreadoutacrossthecurrent.Thenthesunwasbrighterandtheglarecameonthewaterandthen,asitroseclear,theflatseasentitbackathiseyessothatithurtsharplyandherowedwithoutlookingintoit.Helookeddownintothewaterandwatchedthelinesthatwentstraightdownintothedarkofthewater.Hekeptthemstraighterthananyonedid,sothatateachlevelinthedarknessofthestreamtherewouldbeabaitwaitingexactlywherehewishedittobeforanyfishthatswamthere.Othersletthemdriftwiththecurrentandsometimestheywereatsixtyfathomswhenthefishermenthoughttheywereatahundred.
But,hethought,Ikeepthemwithprecision.OnlyIhavenoluckanymore.Butwhoknows?Maybetoday.Everydayisanewday.Itisbettertobelucky.ButIwouldratherbeexact.Thenwhenluckcomesyouareready.
Thesunwastwohourshighernowanditdidnothurthiseyessomuchtolookintotheeast.Therewereonlythreeboatsinsightnowandtheyshowedverylowandfarinshore.
Allmylifetheearlysunhashurtmyeyes,hethought.Yettheyarestillgood.IntheeveningIcanlookstraightintoitwithoutgettingtheblackness.Ithasmoreforceintheeveningtoo.Butinthemorningitispainful.
Justthenhesawaman-of-warbirdwithhislongblackwingscirclingintheskyaheadofhim.Hemadeaquickdrop,slantingdownonhisback-sweptwings,andthencircledagain.
「He』sgotsomething,」theoldmansaidaloud.「He』snotjustlooking.」
Herowedslowlyandsteadilytowardwherethebirdwascircling.Hedidnothurryandhekepthislinesstraightupanddown.Buthecrowdedthecurrentalittlesothathewasstillfishingcorrectlythoughfasterthanhewouldhavefishedifhewasnottryingtousethebird.
Thebirdwenthigherintheairandcircledagain,hiswingsmotionless.Thenhedovesuddenlyandtheoldmansawflyingfishspurtoutofthewaterandsaildesperatelyoverthesurface.
「Dolphin,」theoldmansaidaloud.「Bigdolphin.」
Heshippedhisoarsandbroughtasmalllinefromunderthebow.Ithadawireleaderandamedium-sizedhookandhebaiteditwithoneofthesardines.Heletitgooverthesideandthenmadeitfasttoaringboltinthestern.Thenhebaitedanotherlineandleftitcoiledintheshadeofthebow.Hewentbacktorowingandtowatchingthelong-wingedblackbirdwhowasworking,now,lowoverthewater.
Ashewatchedthebirddippedagainslantinghiswingsforthediveandthenswingingthemwildlyandineffectuallyashefollowedtheflyingfish.Theoldmancouldseetheslightbulgeinthewaterthatthebigdolphinraisedastheyfollowedtheescapingfish.Thedolphinwerecuttingthroughthewaterbelowtheflightofthefishandwouldbeinthewater,drivingatspeed,whenthefishdropped.Itisabigschoolofdolphin,hethought.Theyarewidespreadandtheflyingfishhavelittlechance.Thebirdhasnochance.Theflyingfisharetoobigforhimandtheygotoofast.
Hewatchedtheflyingfishburstoutagainandagainandtheineffectualmovementsofthebird.Thatschoolhasgottenawayfromme,hethought.Theyaremovingouttoofastandtoofar.ButperhapsIwillpickupastrayandperhapsmybigfishisaroundthem.Mybigfishmustbesomewhere.
Thecloudsoverthelandnowroselikemountainsandthecoastwasonlyalonggreenlinewiththegraybluehillsbehindit.Thewaterwasadarkbluenow,sodarkthatitwasalmostpurple.Ashelookeddownintoithesawtheredsiftingoftheplanktoninthedarkwaterandthestrangelightthesunmadenow.Hewatchedhislinestoseethemgostraightdownoutofsightintothewaterandhewashappytoseesomuchplanktonbecauseitmeantfish.Thestrangelightthesunmadeinthewater,nowthatthesunwashigher,meantgoodweatherandsodidtheshapeofthecloudsovertheland.Butthebirdwasalmostoutofsightnowandnothingshowedonthesurfaceofthewaterbutsomepatchesofyellow,sun-bleachedSargassoweedandthepurple,formalized,iridescent,gelatinousbladderofaPortugueseman-of-warfloatingdosebesidetheboat.Itturnedonitssideandthenrighteditself.Itfloatedcheerfullyasabubblewithitslongdeadlypurplefilamentstrailingayardbehinditinthewater.
「Aguamala,」themansaid.「Youwhore.」
Fromwhereheswunglightlyagainsthisoarshelookeddownintothewaterandsawthetinyfishthatwerecolouredlikethetrailingfilamentsandswambetweenthemandunderthesmallshadethebubblemadeasitdrifted.Theywereimmunetoitspoison.Butmenwerenotandwhensameofthefilamentswouldcatchonalineandrestthereslimyandpurplewhiletheoldmanwasworkingafish,hewouldhaveweltsandsoresonhisarmsandhandsofthesortthatpoisonivyorpoisonoakcangive.Butthesepoisoningsfromtheaguamalacamequicklyandstrucklikeawhiplash.