「Yes,」hesaid.「Yes,」andshippedhisoarswithoutbumpingtheboat.Hereachedoutforthelineandhelditsoftlybetweenthethumbandforefingerofhisrighthand.Hefeltnostrainnorweightandheheldthelinelightly.Thenitcameagain.Thistimeitwasatentativepull,notsolidnorheavy,andheknewexactlywhatitwas.Onehundredfathomsdownamarlinwaseatingthesardinesthatcoveredthepointandtheshankofthehookwherethehand-forgedhookprojectedfromtheheadofthesmalltuna.
Theoldmanheldthelinedelicately,andsoftly,withhislefthand,unleasheditfromthestick.Nowhecouldletitrunthroughhisfingerswithoutthefishfeelinganytension.
Thisfarout,hemustbehugeinthismonth,hethought.Eatthem,fish.Eatthem.Pleaseeatthem.Howfreshtheyareandyoudowntheresixhundredfeetinthatcoldwaterinthedark.Makeanotherturninthedarkandcomebackandeatthem.
Hefeltthelightdelicatepullingandthenaharderpullwhenasardine』sheadmusthavebeenmoredifficulttobreakfromthehook.Thentherewasnothing.
「Comeon,」theoldmansaidaloud.「Makeanotherturn.Justsmellthem.Aren』ttheylovely?
Eatthemgoodnowandthenthereisthetuna.Hardandcoldandlovely.Don』tbeshy,fish.Eatthem.」
Hewaitedwiththelinebetweenhisthumbandhisfinger,watchingitandtheotherlinesatthesametimeforthefishmighthaveswumupordown.Thencamethesamedelicatepullingtouchagain.
「He』lltakeit,」theoldmansaidaloud.「Godhelphimtotakeit.」
Hedidnottakeitthough.Hewasgoneandtheoldmanfeltnothing.
「Hecan』thavegone,」hesaid.「Christknowshecan』thavegone.He』smakingaturn.Maybehehasbeenhookedbeforeandherememberssomethingofit.
Thenhefeltthegentletouchonthelineandhewashappy.
「Itwasonlyhisturn,」hesaid.「He』lltakeit.」
Hewashappyfeelingthegentlepullingandthenhefeltsomethinghardandunbelievablyheavy.Itwastheweightofthefishandheletthelineslipdown,down,down,unrollingoffthefirstofthetworeservecoils.Asitwentdown,slippinglightlythroughtheoldman』sfingers,hestillcouldfeelthegreatweight,thoughthepressureofhisthumbandfingerwerealmostimperceptible.
「Whatafish,」hesaid.「Hehasitsidewaysinhismouthnowandheismovingoffwithit.」
Thenhewillturnandswallowit,hethought.Hedidnotsaythatbecauseheknewthatifyousaidagoodthingitmightnothappen.Heknewwhatahugefishthiswasandhethoughtofhimmovingawayinthedarknesswiththetunaheldcrosswiseinhismouth.Atthatmomenthefelthimstopmovingbuttheweightwasstillthere.Thentheweightincreasedandhegavemoreline.Hetightenedthepressureofhisthumbandfingerforamomentandtheweightincreasedandwasgoingstraightdown.
「He』stakenit,」hesaid.「NowI』lllethimeatitwell.」
Heletthelineslipthroughhisfingerswhilehereacheddownwithhislefthandandmadefastthefreeendofthetworeservecoilstotheloopofthetworeservecoilsofthenextline.Nowhewasready.Hehadthreeforty-fathomcoilsoflineinreservenow,aswellasthecoilhewasusing.
「Eatitalittlemore,」hesaid.「Eatitwell.」
Eatitsothatthepointofthehookgoesintoyourheartandkillsyou,hethought.Comeupeasyandletmeputtheharpoonintoyou.Allright.Areyouready?Haveyoubeenlongenoughattable?
「Now!」hesaidaloudandstruckhardwithbothhands,gainedayardoflineandthenstruckagainandagain,swingingwitheacharmalternatelyonthecordwithallthestrengthofhisarmsandthepivotedweightofhisbody.
Nothinghappened.Thefishjustmovedawayslowlyandtheoldmancouldnotraisehimaninch.Hislinewasstrongandmadeforheavyfishandhehelditagainsthishackuntilitwassotautthatbeadsofwaterwerejumpingfromit.Thenitbegantomakeaslowhissingsoundinthewaterandhestillheldit,bracinghimselfagainstthethwartandleaningbackagainstthepull.Theboatbegantomoveslowlyofftowardthenorth-west.
Thefishmovedsteadilyandtheytravelledslowlyonthecalmwater.Theotherbaitswerestillinthewaterbuttherewasnothingtobedone.
「IwishIhadtheboy,」theoldmansaidaloud.「I』mbeingtowedbyafishandI』mthetowingbitt.Icouldmakethelinefast.Butthenhecouldbreakit.ImustholdhimallIcanandgivehimlinewhenhemusthaveit.ThankGodheistravellingandnotgoingdown.」
WhatIwilldoifhedecidestogodown,Idon』tknow.WhatI』lldoifhesoundsanddiesIdon』tknow.ButI』lldosomething.ThereareplentyofthingsIcando.
Heheldthelineagainsthisbackandwatcheditsslantinthewaterandtheskiffmovingsteadilytothenorth-west.
Thiswillkillhim,theoldmanthought.Hecan』tdothisforever.Butfourhourslaterthefishwasstillswimmingsteadilyouttosea,towingtheskiff,andtheoldmanwasstillbracedsolidlywiththelineacrosshisback.
「ItwasnoonwhenIhookedhim,」hesaid.「AndIhaveneverseenhim.」
Hehadpushedhisstrawhatharddownonhisheadbeforehehookedthefishanditwascuttinghisforehead.Hewasthirstytooandhegotdownonhiskneesand,beingcarefulnottojerkontheline,movedasfarintothebowashecouldgetandreachedthewaterbottlewithonehand.Heopeneditanddrankalittle.Thenherestedagainstthebow.Herestedsittingontheun-steppedmastandsailandtriednottothinkbutonlytoendure.