Sometimebeforedaylightsomethingtookoneofthebaitsthatwerebehindhim.Heheardthestickbreakandthelinebegintorushoutoverthegunwaleoftheskiff.Inthedarknessheloosenedhissheathknifeandtakingallthestrainofthefishonhisleftshoulderheleanedbackandcutthelineagainstthewoodofthegunwale.Thenhecuttheotherlineclosesttohimandinthedarkmadethelooseendsofthereservecoilsfast.Heworkedskillfullywiththeonehandandputhisfootonthecoilstoholdthemashedrewhisknotstight.Nowhehadsixreservecoilsofline.Thereweretwofromeachbaithehadseveredandthetwofromthebaitthefishhadtakenandtheywereallconnected.
Afteritislight,hethought,Iwillworkbacktotheforty-fathombaitandcutitawaytooandlinkupthereservecoils.IwillhavelosttwohundredfathomsofgoodCatalancardelandthehooksandleaders.Thatcanbereplaced.ButwhoreplacesthisfishifIhooksomefishanditcutshimoff?
Idon』tknowwhatthatfishwasthattookthebaitjustnow.Itcouldhavebeenamarlinorabroadbillorashark.Ineverfelthim.Ihadtogetridofhimtoofast.
Aloudhesaid,「IwishIhadtheboy.」
Butyouhaven』tgottheboy,hethought.Youhaveonlyyourselfandyouhadbetterworkbacktothelastlinenow,inthedarkornotinthedark,andcutitawayandhookupthetworeservecoils.
Sohedidit.Itwasdifficultinthedarkandoncethefishmadeasurgethatpulledhimdownonhisfaceandmadeacutbelowhiseye.Thebloodrandownhischeekalittleway.Butitcoagulatedanddriedbeforeitreachedhischinandheworkedhiswaybacktothebowandrestedagainstthewood.Headjustedthesackandcarefullyworkedthelinesothatitcameacrossanewpartofhisshouldersand,holdingitanchoredwithhisshoulders,hecarefullyfeltthepullofthefishandthenfeltwithhishandtheprogressoftheskiffthroughthewater.
Iwonderwhathemadethatlurchfor,hethought.Thewiremusthaveslippedonthegreathillofhisback.Certainlyhisbackcannotfeelasbadlyasminedoes.Buthecannotpullthisskiffforever,nomatterhowgreatheis.NoweverythingisclearedawaythatmightmaketroubleandIhaveabigreserveofline;Allthatamancanask.
「Fish,」hesaidsoftly,aloud,「I』llstaywithyouuntilIamdead.」
He』llstaywithmetoo,Isuppose,theoldmanthoughtandhewaitedforittobelight.Itwascoldnowinthetimebeforedaylightandhepushedagainstthewoodtobewarm.Icandoitaslongashecan,hethought.Andinthefirstlightthelineextendedoutanddownintothewater.Theboatmovedsteadilyandwhenthefirstedgeofthesunroseitwasontheoldman』srightshoulder.
「He』sheadednorth,」theoldmansaid.Thecurrentwillhavesetusfartotheeastward,hethought.Iwishhewouldturnwiththecurrent.Thatwouldshowthathewastiring.
Whenthesunhadrisenfurthertheoldmanrealizedthatthefishwasnottiring.Therewasonlyonefavorablesign.Theslantofthelineshowedhewasswimmingatalesserdepth.Thatdidnotnecessarilymeanthathewouldjump.Buthemight.
「Godlethimjump,」theoldmansaid.「Ihaveenoughlinetohandlehim.」
MaybeifIcanincreasethetensionjustalittleitwillhurthimandhewilljump,hethought.Nowthatitisdaylightlethimjumpsothathe』llfillthesacksalonghisbackbonewithairandthenhecannotgodeeptodie.
Hetriedtoincreasethetension,butthelinehadbeentautuptotheveryedgeofthebreakingpointsincehehadhookedthefishandhefelttheharshnessasheleanedbacktopullandknewhecouldputnomorestrainonit.Imustnotjerkitever,hethought.Eachjerkwidensthecutthehookmakesandthenwhenhedoesjumphemightthrowit.AnywayIfeelbetterwiththesunandforonceIdonothavetolookintoit.
Therewasyellowweedonthelinebuttheoldmanknewthatonlymadeanaddeddragandhewaspleased.ItwastheyellowGulfweedthathadmadesomuchphosphorescenceinthenight.
「Fish,」hesaid,「Iloveyouandrespectyouverymuch.ButIwillkillyoudeadbeforethisdayends.」
Letushopeso,hethought.
Asmallbirdcametowardtheskifffromthenorth.Hewasawarblerandflyingverylowoverthewater.Theoldmancouldseethathewasverytired.
Thebirdmadethesternoftheboatandrestedthere.Thenheflewaroundtheoldman』sheadandrestedonthelinewherehewasmorecomfortable.
「Howoldareyou?」theoldmanaskedthebird.「Isthisyourfirsttrip?」
Thebirdlookedathimwhenhespoke.Hewastootiredeventoexaminethelineandheteeteredonitashisdelicatefeetgrippeditfast.
「It』ssteady,」theoldmantoldhim.「It』stoosteady.Youshouldn』tbethattiredafterawindlessnight.Whatarebirdscomingto?」
Thehawks,hethought,thatcomeouttoseatomeetthem.Buthesaidnothingofthistothebirdwhocouldnotunderstandhimanywayandwhowouldlearnaboutthehawkssoonenough.
「Takeagoodrest,smallbird,」hesaid.「Thengoinandtakeyourchancelikeanymanorbirdorfish.」
Itencouragedhimtotalkbecausehisbackhadstiffenedinthenightandithurttrulynow.
「Stayatmyhouseifyoulike,bird,」hesaid.「IamsorryIcannothoistthesailandtakeyouinwiththesmallbreezethatisrising.ButIamwithafriend.」
Justthenthefishgaveasuddenlurchthatpulledtheoldmandownontothebowandwouldhavepulledhimoverboardifhehadnotbracedhimselfandgivensomeline.
Thebirdhadflownupwhenthelinejerkedandtheoldmanhadnotevenseenhimgo.Hefeltthelinecarefullywithhisrighthandandnoticedhishandwasbleeding.
「Somethinghurthimthen,」hesaidaloudandpulledbackonthelinetoseeifhecouldturnthefish.Butwhenhewastouchingthebreakingpointheheldsteadyandsettledbackagainstthestrainoftheline.
「You』refeelingitnow,fish,」hesaid.「Andso,Godknows,amI.」
Helookedaroundforthebirdnowbecausehewouldhavelikedhimforcompany.Thebirdwasgone.