ond fish, her crew had probably not observed his mishap. He turned
his eyes back to the dory at the very moment that the warp ran out to
its full length and the barrel was whirled overboard.

Its red bilge flung the spray aloft as it towed rapidly toward him. Ten
yards away it came to a sudden stop. The swordfish was either dead or
taking another rest.

It was a matter of no great difficulty for Percy to reach the little
cask. He rested on it for a moment, then resumed his swim toward the
boat. Presently he was grasping the gunwale.

A month earlier it would have been absolutely impossible for him to
scramble into the high-sided, rocking craft. As it was he had a hard
fight, and he was all but spent when he tumbled inside and lay panting.

When he raised himself, the first thing he noticed was that the fog was
driving nearer. The wind was now due east. It promised to bring the
day's fishing to an early end. He must retrieve the barrel and get the
fish aboard as soon as possible or he might lose it altogether.

Shipping his oars, he rowed up to the cask and took it in. A pull on the
warp showed that the swordfish was motionless. Percy began hauling
again, but this time he was very careful to keep his feet clear of the
coil.

A damp breath smote his cheek. He glanced toward the east, and saw the
fog blowing over the water in ragged, fleecy masses. The _Barracouta_
was momentarily hidden. When she reappeared, fully a mile distant, her
crew were hoisting a black body aboard. While he was fighting for life
they had succeeded in capturing the second fish. The sight reminded him
of his duty. He resumed pulling.

As the fathoms came in there was no sign of life on the other end. The
fish sagged like lead. At last the long drag was over and its body
floated beside the dory.

"Deader 'n a door-nail!" muttered Percy.

His prize was fully seven feet long. The iron had gone down under the
shoulder and out into the gills, causing it to bleed freely. Its sword,
which was an extension of the upper jaw, suggesting a duck's bill, was
notched and battered, where it had struck against rocks on the bottom.

Following Jim's directions, Percy fastened a bight of the warp securely
round the tail of his prize, triced it up over the dory's stem, and made
the line fast round a thwart. The fish was so heavy that he could not
lift it very high, and most of its body dragged in the water. He began
to row slowly toward the sloop.

Thicker