WhenhesailedintothelittleharbourthelightsoftheTerracewereoutandhekneweveryonewasinbed.Thebreezehadrisensteadilyandwasblowingstronglynow.Itwasquietintheharborthoughandhesailedupontothelittlepatchofshinglebelowtherocks.Therewasnoonetohelphimsohepulledtheboatupasfarashecould.Thenhesteppedoutandmadeherfasttoarock.
Heunsteppedthemastandfurledthesailandtiedit.Thenheshoulderedthemastandstartedtoclimb.Itwasthenheknewthedepthofhistiredness.Hestoppedforamomentandlookedbackandsawinthereflectionfromthestreetlightthegreattailofthefishstandingupwellbehindtheskiff』sstern.Hesawthewhitenakedlineofhisbackboneandthedarkmassoftheheadwiththeprojectingbillandallthenakednessbetween.
Hestartedtoclimbagainandatthetophefellandlayforsometimewiththemastacrosshisshoulder.Hetriedtogetup.Butitwastoodifficultandhesattherewiththemastonhisshoulderandlookedattheroad.Acatpassedonthefarsidegoingaboutitsbusinessandtheoldmanwatchedit.Thenhejustwatchedtheroad.
Finallyheputthemastdownandstoodup.Hepickedthemastupandputitonhisshoulderandstarteduptheroad.Hehadtositdownfivetimesbeforehereachedhisshack.
Insidetheshackheleanedthemastagainstthewall.Inthedarkhefoundawaterbottleandtookadrink.Thenhelaydownonthebed.Hepulledtheblanketoverhisshouldersandthenoverhisbackandlegsandhesleptfacedownonthenewspaperswithhisarmsoutstraightandthepalmsofhishandsup.
Hewasasleepwhentheboylookedinthedoorinthemorning.Itwasblowingsohardthatthedrifting-boatswouldnotbegoingoutandtheboyhadsleptlateandthencometotheoldman』sshackashehadcomeeachmorning.Theboysawthattheoldmanwasbreathingandthenhesawtheoldman』shandsandhestartedtocry.Hewentoutveryquietlytogotobringsomecoffeeandallthewaydowntheroadhewascrying.
Manyfishermenwerearoundtheskifflookingatwhatwaslashedbesideitandonewasinthewater,histrousersrolledup,measuringtheskeletonwithalengthofline.
Theboydidnotgodown.Hehadbeentherebeforeandoneofthefishermenwaslookingaftertheskiffforhim.
「Howishe?」oneofthefishermenshouted.
「Sleeping,」theboycalled.Hedidnotcarethattheysawhimcrying.「Letnoonedisturbhim.」
「Hewaseighteenfeetfromnosetotail,」thefishermanwhowasmeasuringhimcalled.
「Ibelieveit,」theboysaid.
HewentintotheTerraceandaskedforacanofcoffee.
「Hotandwithplentyofmilkandsugarinit.」
「Anythingmore?」
「No.AfterwardsIwillseewhathecaneat.」
「Whatafishitwas,」theproprietorsaid.「Therehasneverbeensuchafish.Thoseweretwofinefishyoutookyesterdaytoo.」
「Damnmyfish,」theboysaidandhestartedtocryagain.
「Doyouwantadrinkofanykind?」theproprietorasked.
「No,」theboysaid.「TellthemnottobotherSantiago.I』llbeback.」
「TellhimhowsorryIam.」
「Thanks,」theboysaid.