Whenhewasevenwithhimandhadthefish』sheadagainstthebowhecouldnotbelievehissize.Butheuntiedtheharpoonropefromthebitt,passeditthroughthefish』sgillsandouthisjaws,madeaturnaroundhisswordthenpassedtheropethroughtheothergill,madeanotherturnaroundthebillandknottedthedoubleropeandmadeitfasttothebittinthebow.Hecuttheropethenandwentasterntonoosethetail.Thefishhadturnedsilverfromhisoriginalpurpleandsilver,andthestripesshowedthesamepalevioletcolourashistail.Theywerewiderthanaman』shandwithhisfingersspreadandthefish』seyelookedasdetachedasthemirrorsinaperiscopeorasasaintinaprocession.
「Itwastheonlywaytokillhim,」theoldmansaid.Hewasfeelingbettersincethewaterandheknewhewouldnotgoawayandhisheadwasclear.He』soverfifteenhundredpoundsthewayheis,hethought.Maybemuchmore.Ifhedressesouttwo-thirdsofthatatthirtycentsapound?
「Ineedapencilforthat,」hesaid.「Myheadisnotthatclear.ButIthinkthegreatDiMaggiowouldbeproudofmetoday.Ihadnobonespurs.Butthehandsandthebackhurttruly.」Iwonderwhatabonespuris,hethought.Maybewehavethemwithoutknowingofit.
Hemadethefishfasttobowandsternandtothemiddlethwart.Hewassobigitwaslikelashingamuchbiggerskiffalongside.Hecutapieceoflineandtiedthefish』slowerjawagainsthisbillsohismouthwouldnotopenandtheywouldsailascleanlyaspossible.Thenhesteppedthemastand,withthestickthatwashisgaffandwithhisboomrigged,thepatchedsaildrew,theboatbegantomove,andhalflyinginthesternhesailedsouth-west.
Hedidnotneedacompasstotellhimwheresouthwestwas.Heonlyneededthefeelofthetradewindandthedrawingofthesail.Ibetterputasmalllineoutwithaspoononitandtryandgetsomethingtoeatanddrinkforthemoisture.Buthecouldnotfindaspoonandhissardineswererotten.SohehookedapatchofyellowGulfweedwiththegaffastheypassedandshookitsothatthesmallshrimpsthatwereinitfellontotheplankingoftheskiff.Thereweremorethanadozenofthemandtheyjumpedandkickedlikesandfleas.Theoldmanpinchedtheirheadsoffwithhisthumbandforefingerandatethemchewinguptheshellsandthetails.Theywereverytinybutheknewtheywerenourishingandtheytastedgood.
Theoldmanstillhadtwodrinksofwaterinthebottleandheusedhalfofoneafterhehadeatentheshrimps.Theskiffwassailingwellconsideringthehandicapsandhesteeredwiththetillerunderhisarm.Hecouldseethefishandhehadonlytolookathishandsandfeelhisbackagainstthesterntoknowthatthishadtrulyhappenedandwasnotadream.Atonetimewhenhewasfeelingsobadlytowardtheend,hehadthoughtperhapsitwasadream.Thenwhenhehadseenthefishcomeoutofthewaterandhangmotionlessintheskybeforehefell,hewassuretherewassomegreatstrangenessandhecouldnotbelieveit.
Thenhecouldnotseewell,althoughnowhesawaswellasever.Nowheknewtherewasthefishandhishandsandbackwerenodream.Thehandscurequickly,hethought.Ibledthemcleanandthesaltwaterwillhealthem.Thedarkwaterofthetruegulfisthegreatesthealerthatthereis.AllImustdoiskeeptheheadclear.Thehandshavedonetheirworkandwesailwell.Withhismouthshutandhistailstraightupanddownwesaillikebrothers.Thenhisheadstartedtobecomealittleunclearandhethought,ishebringingmeinoramIbringinghimin?IfIweretowinghimbehindtherewouldbenoquestion.Norifthefishwereintheskiff,withalldignitygone,therewouldbenoquestioneither.Buttheyweresailingtogetherlashedsidebysideandtheoldmanthought,lethimbringmeinifitpleaseshim.Iamonlybetterthanhimthroughtrickeryandhemeantmenoharm.
Theysailedwellandtheoldmansoakedhishandsinthesaltwaterandtriedtokeephisheadclear.Therewerehighcumuluscloudsandenoughcirrusabovethemsothattheoldmanknewthebreezewouldlastallnight.Theoldmanlookedatthefishconstantlytomakesureitwastrue.Itwasanhourbeforethefirstsharkhithim.
Thesharkwasnotanaccident.Hehadcomeupfromdeepdowninthewaterasthedarkcloudofbloodhadsettledanddispersedinthemiledeepsea.Hehadcomeupsofastandabsolutelywithoutcautionthathebrokethesurfaceofthebluewaterandwasinthesun.Thenhefellbackintotheseaandpickedupthescentandstartedswimmingonthecoursetheskiffandthefishhadtaken.