Itwasgettingintotheafternoonandtheboatstillmovedslowlyandsteadily.Buttherewasanaddeddragnowfromtheeasterlybreezeandtheoldmanrodegentlywiththesmallseaandthehurtofthecordacrosshisbackcametohimeasilyandsmoothly.
Onceintheafternoonthelinestartedtoriseagain.Butthefishonlycontinuedtoswimataslightlyhigherlevel.Thesunwasontheoldmansleftarmandshoulderandonhisback.Soheknewthefishhadturnedeastofnorth.
Nowthathehadseenhimonce,hecouldpicturethefishswimminginthewaterwithhispurplepectoralfinssetwideaswingsandthegreaterecttailslicingthroughthedark.Iwonderhowmuchheseesatthatdepth,theoldmanthought.Hiseyeishugeandahorse,withmuchlesseye,canseeinthedark.OnceIcouldseequitewellinthedark.Notintheabsolutedark.Butalmostasacatsees.
Thesunandhissteadymovementofhisfingershaduncrampedhislefthandnowcompletelyandhebegantoshiftmoreofthestraintoitandheshruggedthemusclesofhisbacktoshiftthehurtofthecordalittle.
“Ifyourenottired,fish,”hesaidaloud,“youmustbeverystrange.”
Hefeltverytirednowandheknewthenightwouldcomesoonandhetriedtothinkofotherthings.HethoughtoftheBigLeagues,tohimtheyweretheGranLigas,andheknewthattheYankeesofNewYorkwereplayingtheTigresofDetroit.
ThisistheseconddaynowthatIdonotknowtheresultofthejuegos,hethought.ButImusthaveconfidenceandImustbeworthyofthegreatDiMaggiowhodoesallthingsperfectlyevenwiththepainofthebonespurinhisheel.Whatisabonespur?Heaskedhimself.Unespueladehueso.WedonothavetheCanitbeaspainfulasthespurofafightingcockinonesheel?IdonotthinkIcouldendurethatorthelossoftheeyeandofbotheyesandcontinuetofightasthefightingcocksdo.Manisnotmuchbesidethegreatbirdsandbeasts.StillIwouldratherbethatbeastdownthereinthedarknessofthesea.
“Unlesssharkscome,”hesaidaloud.“Ifsharkscome,Godpityhimandme.”
DoyoubelievethegreatDiMaggiowouldstaywithafishaslongasIwillstaywiththisone?Hethought.Iamsurehewouldandmoresinceheisyoungandstrong.Alsohisfatherwasafisherman.Butwouldthebonespurhurthimtoomuch?
“Idonotknow,”hesaidaloud.“Ineverhadabonespur.”
Asthesunsetheremembered,togivehimselfmoreconfidence,thetimeinthetavernatCasablancawhenhehadplayedthehandgamewiththegreatnegrofromCienfuegoswhowasthestrongestmanonthedocks.Theyhadgoneonedayandonenightwiththeirelbowsonachalklineonthetableandtheirforearmsstraightupandtheirhandsgrippedtight.Eachonewastryingtoforcetheothershanddownontothetable.Therewasmuchbettingandpeoplewentinandoutoftheroomunderthekerosenelightsandhehadlookedatthearmandhandofthenegroandatthenegrosface.Theychangedtherefereeseveryfourhoursafterthefirsteightsothattherefereescouldsleep.Bloodcameoutfromunderthefingernailsofbothhisandthenegroshandsandtheylookedeachotherintheeyeandattheirhandsandforearmsandthebettorswentinandoutoftheroomandsatonhighchairsagainstthewallandwatched.ThewallswerepaintedbrightblueandwereofwoodandthelampsthrewtheirshadowsagainsttheThenegrosshadowwashugeanditmovedonthewallasthebreezemovedthelamps.
TheoddswouldchangebackandforthallnightandtheyfedthenegrorumandlightedcigarettesforhiThentheNegro,aftertherum,wouldtryforatremendouseffortandoncehehadtheoldman,whowasnotanoldmanthenbutwasSantiagoElCampeon,nearlythreeinchesoffbalance.Buttheoldmanhadraisedhishanduptodeadevenagain.Hewassurethenthathehadthenegro,whowasafinemanandagreatathlete,beaten.Andatdaylightwhenthebettorswereaskingthatitbecalledadrawandtherefereewasshakinghishead,hehadunleashedhiseffortandforcedthehandofthenegrodownanddownuntilitrestedonthewood.ThematchhadstartedonaSundaymorningandendedonaMondaymorning.ManyofthebettorshadaskedforadrawbecausetheyhadtogotoworkonthedocksloadingsacksofsugarorattheHavanaCoalCompany.Otherwiseeveryonewouldhavewantedittogotoafinish.Buthehadfinisheditanywayandbeforeanyonehadtogotowork.
ForalongtimeafterthateveryonehadcalledhimTheChampionandtherehadbeenareturnmatchinthespring.ButnotmuchmoneywasbetandhehadwonitquiteeasilysincehehadbrokentheconfidenceofthenegrofromCienfuegosinthefirstmatch.Afterthathehadafewmatchesandthennomore.Hedecidedthathecouldbeatanyoneifhewantedtobadlyenoughandhedecidedthatitwasbadforhisrighthandforfishing.Hehadtriedafewpracticematcheswithhislefthand.Buthislefthandhadalwaysbeenatraitorandwouldnotdowhathecalledonittodoandhedidnottrustit.
Thesunwillbakeitoutwellnow,hethought.Itshouldnotcramponmeagainunlessitgetstoocoldinthenight.Iwonderwhatthisnightwillbring.
AnairplanepassedoverheadonitscoursetoMiamiandhewatcheditsshadowscaringuptheschoolsofflyingfish.
“Withsomuchflyingfishthereshouldbedolphin,”hesaid,andleanedbackonthelinetoseeifitwaspossibletogainanyonhisfish.Buthecouldnotanditstayedatthehardnessandwaterdropshiveringthatprecededbreaking.Theboatmovedaheadslowlyandhewatchedtheairplaneuntilhecouldnolongerseeit.
Itmustbeverystrangeinanairplane,hethought.Iwonderwhatthesealookslikefromthatheight?Theyshouldbeabletoseethefishwelliftheydonotflytoohigh.Iwouldliketoflyveryslowlyattwohundredfathomshighandseethefishfromabove.IntheturtleboatsIwasinthecross-treesofthemast-headandevenatthatheightIsawmuch.ThedolphinlookgreenerfromthereandyoucanseetheirstripesandtheirpurplespotsandyoucanseealloftheschoolastheyswiWhyisitthatallthefast-movingfishofthedarkcurrenthavepurplebacksandusuallypurplestripesorspots?Thedolphinlooksgreenofcoursebecauseheisreallygolden.Butwhenhecomestofeed,trulyhungry,purplestripesshowonhissidesasonamarlin.Canitbeanger,orthegreaterspeedhemakesthatbringsthemout?
Justbeforeitwasdark,astheypassedagreatislandofSargassoweedthatheavedandswunginthelightseaasthoughtheoceanweremakinglovewithsomethingunderayellowblanket,hissmalllinewastakenbyadolphin.Hesawitfirstwhenitjumpedintheair,truegoldinthelastofthesunandbendingandflappingwildlyintheair.Itjumpedagainandagainintheacrobaticsofitsfearandheworkedhiswaybacktothesternandcrouchingandholdingthebiglinewithhisrighthandandarm,hepulledthedolphininwithhislefthand,steppingonthegainedlineeachtimewithhisbareleftfoot.Whenthefishwasatthestern,plungingandcuttingfromsidetosideindesperation,theoldmanleanedoverthesternandliftedtheburnishedgoldfishwithitspurplespotsoverthestern.Itsjawswereworkingconvulsivelyinquickbitesagainstthehookanditpoundedthebottomoftheskiffwithitslongflatbody,itstailanditsheaduntilheclubbeditacrosstheshininggoldenheaduntilitshiveredandwasstill.
Theoldmanunhookedthefish,rebaitedthelinewithanothersardineandtosseditover.Thenheworkedhiswayslowlybacktothebow.Hewashedhislefthandandwipeditonhistrousers.Thenheshiftedtheheavylinefromhisrighthandtohisleftandwashedhisrighthandintheseawhilehewatchedthesungointotheoceanandtheslantofthebigcord.
“Hehasntchangedatall,”hesaid.Butwatchingthemovementofthewateragainsthishandhenoticedthatitwasperceptiblyslower.
“Illlashthetwooarstogetheracrossthesternandthatwillslowhiminthenight,”hesaid.“HesgoodforthenightandsoamI.”
Itwouldbebettertogutthedolphinalittlelatertosavethebloodinthemeat,hethought.Icandothatalittlelaterandlashtheoarstomakeadragatthesametime.Ihadbetterkeepthefishquietnowandnotdisturbhimtoomuchatsunset.Thesettingofthesunisadifficulttimeforallfish.
Helethishanddryintheairthengraspedthelinewithitandeasedhimselfasmuchashecouldandallowedhimselftobepulledforwardagainstthewoodsothattheboattookthestrainasmuch,ormore,thanhedid.
Imlearninghowtodoit,hethought.Thispartofitanyway.Thentoo,rememberhehasnteatensincehetookthebaitandheishugeandneedsmuchfood.Ihaveeatenthewholebonito.TomorrowIwilleatthedolphin.Hecalleditdorado.PerhapsIshouldeatsomeofitwhenIcleanit.Itwillbehardertoeatthanthebonito.But,then,nothingiseasy.
“Howdoyoufeel,fish?”heaskedaloud.“IfeelgoodandmylefthandisbetterandIhavefoodforanightandaday.Pulltheboat,fish.”
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