Butthefishkeptoncirclingslowlyandtheoldmanwaswetwithsweatandtireddeepintohisbonestwohourslater.Butthecirclesweremuchshorternowandfromthewaythelineslantedhecouldtellthefishhadrisensteadilywhileheswa
Foranhourtheoldmanhadbeenseeingblackspotsbeforehiseyesandthesweatsaltedhiseyesandsaltedthecutoverhiseyeandonhisforehead.Hewasnotafraidoftheblackspots.Theywerenormalatthetensionthathewaspullingontheline.Twice,though,hehadfeltfaintanddizzyandthathadworriedhi
“Icouldnotfailmyselfanddieonafishlikethis.”hesaid.“NowthatIhavehimcomingsobeautifully,Godhelpmeendure.IllsayahundredOurFathersandahundredHailMarys.ButIcannotsaythemnow.”
Considerthemsaid,hethought.Illsaythemlater.
Justthenhefeltasuddenbangingandjerkingonthelineheheldwithhistwohands.Itwassharpandhard-feelingandheavy.
Heishittingthewireleaderwithhisspear,hethought.Thatwasboundtocome.Hehadtodothat.ItmaymakehimjumpthoughandIwouldratherhestayedcirclingnow.Thejumpswerenecessaryforhimtotakeair.Butafterthateachonecanwidentheopeningofthehookwoundandhecanthrowthehook.
“Dontjump,fish,”hesaid.“Dontjump.”
Thefishhitthewireseveraltimesmoreandeachtimeheshookhisheadtheoldmangaveupalittleline.
Imustholdhispainwhereitis,hethought.Minedoesnotmatter.Icancontrolmine.Buthispaincoulddrivehimmad.
Afterawhilethefishstoppedbeatingatthewireandstartedcirclingslowlyagain.Theoldmanwasgaininglinesteadilynow.Buthefeltfaintagain.Heliftedsomeseawaterwithhislefthandandputitonhishead.Thenheputmoreonandrubbedthebackofhisneck.
“Ihavenocramps.”hesaid.“HellbeupsoonandIcanlast.Youhavetolast.Dontevenspeakofit.”
Hekneeledagainstthebowand,foramoment,slippedthelineoverhisbackagain.Illrestnowwhilehegoesoutonthecircleandthenstandupandworkonhimwhenhecomesin,hedecided.
Itwasagreattemptationtorestinthebowandletthefishmakeonecirclebyhimselfwithoutrecoveringanyline.Butwhenthestrainshowedthefishhadturnedtocometowardtheboat,theoldmanrosetohisfeetandstartedthepivotingandtheweavingpullingthatbroughtinallthelinehegained.
ImtirederthanIhaveeverbeen,hethought,andnowthetradewindisrising.Butthatwillbegoodtotakehiminwith.Ineedthatbadly.
“Illrestonthenextturnashegoesout,”hesaid.“Ifeelmuchbetter.ThenintwoorthreeturnsmoreIwillhavehi”
Hisstrawhatwasfaronthebackofhisheadandhesankdownintothebowwiththepullofthelineashefeltthefishturn.
Youworknow,fish,hethought.Illtakeyouattheturn.
Theseahadrisenconsiderably.Butitwasafair-weatherbreezeandhehadtohaveittogethome.
“Illjuststeersouthandwest.”hesaid.“Amanisneverlostatseaanditisalongisland.”
Itwasonthethirdturnthathesawthefishfirst.
Hesawhimfirstasadarkshadowthattooksolongtopassundertheboatthathecouldnotbelieveitslength.
“No,”hesaid.“Hecantbethatbig.”
Buthewasthatbigandattheendofthiscirclehecametothesurfaceonlythirtyyardsawayandthemansawhistailoutofwater.Itwashigherthanabigscythebladeandaverypalelavenderabovethedarkbluewater.ItrakedbackandasthefishswamjustbelowthesurfacetheoldmancouldseehishugebulkandthepurplestripesthatbandedhiHisdorsalfinwasdownandhishugepectoralswerespreadwide.
OnthiscircletheoldmancouldseethefishseyeandthetwograysuckingfishthatswamaroundhiSometimestheyattachedthemselvestohiSometimestheydartedoff.Sometimestheywouldswimeasilyinhisshadow.Theywereeachoverthreefeetlongandwhentheyswamfasttheylashedtheirwholebodieslikeeels.
Theoldmanwassweatingnowbutfromsomethingelsebesidesthesun.Oneachcalmplacidturnthefishmadehewasgaininglineandhewassurethatintwoturnsmorehewouldhaveachancetogettheharpoonin.
ButImustgethimclose,close,close,hethought.Imustnttryforthehead.Imustgettheheart.
“Becalmandstrong,oldman,”hesaid.
Onthenextcirclethefishsbackwasoutbuthewasalittletoofarfromtheboat.Onthenextcirclehewasstilltoofarawaybuthewashigheroutofwaterandtheoldmanwassurethatbygainingsomemorelinehecouldhavehimalongside.
Hehadriggedhisharpoonlongbeforeanditscoiloflightropewasinaroundbasketandtheendwasmadefasttothebittinthebow.
Thefishwascominginonhiscirclenowcalmandbeautifullookingandonlyhisgreattailmoving.Theoldmanpulledonhimallthathecouldtobringhimcloser.Forjustamomentthefishturnedalittleonhisside.Thenhestraightenedhimselfandbegananothercircle.
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