第7章 The Old Mans Victory

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“Thr ll ad athr n thr or four days,”h sad.“But not tonght and not toorro.Rg no to gt so slp,old an,hl th fsh s cal and stady.”

H hld th ln tght n hs rght hand and thn pushd hs thgh aganst hs rght hand as h land all hs ght aganst th ood of th o.Thn h passd th ln a lttl lor on hs shouldrs and racd hs lft hand on t.

My rght hand can hold t as long as t s racd, h thought.If t rlaxs n slp y lft hand ll ak as th ln gos out.It s hard on th rght hand.But h s usd to punshnt.Evn f I slp tnty nuts or a half an hour t s good.H lay forard crapng hslf aganst th ln th all of hs ody,puttng all hs ght onto hs rght hand, and h as aslp.

H dd not dra of th lons ut nstad of a vast school of porposs that strtchd for ght or tn ls and t as n th t of thr atng and thy ould lap hgh nto th ar and rturn nto th sa hol thy had ad n th atr hn thy lapd.

Thn h drad that h as n th vllag on hs d and thr as a northr and h as vry cold and hs rght ar as aslp caus hs had had rstd on t nstad of a pllo.

Aftr that h gan to dra of th long yllo ach and h sa th frst of th lons co don onto t n th arly dark and thn th othr lons ca and h rstd hs chn on th ood of th os hr th shp lay anchord th th vnng off-shor rz and h atd to s f thr ould or lons and h as happy.

Th oon had n up for a long t ut h slpt on and th fsh pulld on stadly and th oat ovd nto th tunnl of clouds.

H ok th th jrk of hs rght fst cong up aganst hs fac and th ln urnng out through hs rght hand.H had no flng of hs lft hand ut h rakd all h could th hs rght and th ln rushd out.Fnally hs lft hand found th ln and h land ack aganst th ln and no t urnd hs ack and hs lft hand,and hs lft hand as takng all th stran and cuttng adly.H lookd ack at th cols of ln and thy r fdng soothly.Just thn th fsh jupd akng a grat urstng of th ocan and thn a havy fall.Thn h jupd agan and agan and th oat as gong fast although ln as stll racng out and th old an as rasng th stran to rakng pont and rasng t to rakng pont agan and agan.H had n pulld don tght onto th o and hs fac as n th cut slc of dolphn and h could not ov.

Ths s hat atd for,h thought.So no lt us tak t.

Mak h pay for th ln,h thought.Mak h pay for t.

H could not s th fsh's jups ut only hard th rakng of th ocan and th havy splash as h fll.Th spd of th ln as cuttng hs hands adly ut h had alays knon ths ould happn and h trd to kp th cuttng across th callousd parts and not lt th ln slp nto th pal nor cut th fngrs.

If th oy as hr h ould t th cols of ln,h thought.Ys.If th oy r hr.If th oy r hr.

Th ln nt out and out and out ut t as slong no and h as akng th fsh arn ach nch of t.No h got hs had up fro th ood and out of th slc of fsh that hs chk had crushd.Thn h as on hs kns and thn h ros sloly to hs ft.H as cdng ln ut or sloly all th t.H orkd ack to hr h could fl th hs foot th cols of ln that h could not s.Thr as plnty of ln stll and no th fsh had to pull th frcton of all that n ln through th atr.

Ys,h thought.And no h has jupd or than a dozn ts and flld th sacks along hs ack th ar and h cannot go don dp to d hr I cannot rng h up.H ll start crclng soon and thn I ust ork on h. I ondr hat startd h so suddnly?Could t hav n hungr that ad h dsprat,or as h frghtnd y sothng n th nght?May h suddnly flt far.But h as such a cal,strong fsh and h sd so farlss and so confdnt.

It s strang.

“You ttr farlss and confdnt yourslf, old an,”h sad.“ You'r holdng h agan ut you cannot gt ln.But soon h has to crcl .”

Th old an hld h th hs lft hand and hs shouldrs no and stoopd don and scoopd up atr n hs rght hand to gt th crushd dolphn flsh off hs fac.H as afrad that t ght nausat h and h ould vot and los hs strngth.Whn hs fac as cland h ashd hs rght hand n th atr ovr th sd and thn lt t stay n th salt atr hl h atchd th frst lght co for th sunrs.H's hadd alost ast,h thought.That ans h s trd and gong th th currnt.Soon h ll hav to crcl. Thn our tru ork gns.

Aftr h judgd that hs rght hand had n n th atr long nough h took t out and lookd at t.

“It s not ad.”h sad.“And pan dos not attr to a an.”

H took hold of th ln carfully so that t dd not ft nto any of th frsh ln cuts and shftd hs ght so that h could put hs lft hand nto th sa on th othr sd of th skff.

“You dd not do so adly for sothng orthlss,”h sad to hs lft hand.“But thr as a ont hn I could not fnd you.”

Why as I not orn th to good hands?H thought.Prhaps t as y fault n not tranng that on proprly.But God knos h has had nough chancs to larn.H dd not do so adly n th nght,though,and h has only crapd onc.If h craps agan lt th ln cut h off.

Whn h thought that h kn that h as not ng clar-hadd and h thought h should ch so or of th dolphn.But I can't,h told hslf.It s ttr to lght-hadd than to los your strngth fro nausa.And I kno I cannot kp t f I at t snc y fac as n t.I ll kp t for an rgncy untl t gos ad.But t s too lat to try for strngth no through nourshnt.You'r stupd, h told hslf.Eat th othr flyng fsh.

It as thr,cland and rady,and h pckd t up th hs lft hand and at t chng th ons carfully and atng all of t don to th tal.

It has or nourshnt than alost any fsh, h thought.At last th knd of strngth that I nd.No I hav don hat I can,h thought.Lt h gn to crcl and lt th fght co.

Th sun as rsng for th thrd t snc h had put to sa hn th fsh startd to crcl.

H could not s y th slant of th ln that th fsh as crclng.It as too arly for that.H just flt a fant slacknng of th prssur of th ln and h concd to pull on t gntly th hs rght hand.It tghtnd,as alays, ut just hn h rachd th pont hr t ould rak,ln gan to co n.H slppd hs shouldrs and had fro undr th ln and gan to pull n ln stadly and gntly. H usd oth of hs hands n a sngng oton and trd to do th pullng as uch as h could th hs ody and hs lgs. Hs old lgs and shouldrs pvotd th th sngng of th pullng.

“It s a vry g crcl,”h sad.“ But h s crclng.”

Thn th ln ould not co n any or and h hld t untl h sa th drops jupng fro t n th sun. Thn t startd out and th old an knlt don and lt t go grudgngly ack nto th dark atr.

“H s akng th far part of hs crcl no,”h sad. I ust hold all I can,h thought.Th stran ll shortn hs crcl ach t.Prhaps n an hour I ll s h.No I ust convnc h and thn I ust kll h.

But th fsh kpt on crclng sloly and th old an as t th sat and trd dp nto hs ons to hours latr. But th crcls r uch shortr no and fro th ay th ln slantd h could tll th fsh had rsn stadly hl h sa.

For an hour th old an had n sng lack spots for hs ys and th sat saltd hs ys and saltd th cut ovr hs y and on hs forhad.H as not afrad of th lack spots. Thy r noral at th tnson that h as pullng on th ln.Tc,though,h had flt fant and dzzy and that had orrd h.

“I could not fal yslf and d on a fsh lk ths.”h sad.“No that I hav h cong so autfully,God hlp ndur.I'll say a hundrd Our Fathrs and a hundrd Hal Marys.But I cannot say th no.”

Consdr th sad,h thought.I'll say th latr.

Just thn h flt a suddn angng and jrkng on th ln h hld th hs to hands.It as sharp and hard-flng and havy.

H s httng th r ladr th hs spar,h thought. That as ound to co.H had to do that.It ay ak h jup though and I ould rathr h stayd crclng no. Th jups r ncssary for h to tak ar.But aftr that ach on can dn th opnng of th hook ound and h can thro th hook.

“Don't jup,fsh,”h sad.“ Don't jup.”

Th fsh ht th r svral ts or and ach t h shook hs had th old an gav up a lttl ln.

I ust hold hs pan hr t s,h thought.Mn dos not attr.I can control n.But hs pan could drv h ad.

Aftr a hl th fsh stoppd atng at th r and startd crclng sloly agan.Th old an as ganng ln stadly no.But h flt fant agan.H lftd so sa atr th hs lft hand and put t on hs had.Thn h put or on and rud th ack of hs nck.

“I hav no craps.”h sad.“ H'll up soon and I can last.You hav to last.Don't vn spak of t.”

H knld aganst th o and,for a ont,slppd th ln ovr hs ack agan.I'll rst no hl h gos out on th crcl and thn stand up and ork on h hn h cos n,h dcdd.

It as a grat tptaton to rst n th o and lt th fsh ak on crcl y hslf thout rcovrng any ln. But hn th stran shod th fsh had turnd to co toard th oat,th old an ros to hs ft and startd th pvotng and th avng pullng that rought n all th ln h gand.

I' trdr than I hav vr n,h thought,and no th trad nd s rsng.But that ll good to tak h n th.I nd that adly.

“I'll rst on th nxt turn as h gos out,”h sad.“I fl uch ttr.Thn n to or thr turns or I ll hav h.”

Hs stra hat as far on th ack of hs had and h sank don nto th o th th pull of th ln as h flt th fsh turn.

You ork no,fsh,h thought.I'll tak you at th turn.

Th sa had rsn consdraly.But t as a far-athr rz and h had to hav t to gt ho.

“I'll just str south and st.”h sad.“A an s nvr lost at sa and t s a long sland.”

It as on th thrd turn that h sa th fsh frst.

H sa h frst as a dark shado that took so long to pass undr th oat that h could not lv ts lngth.

“No,”h sad.“ H can't that g.”

But h as that g and at th nd of ths crcl h ca to th surfac only thrty yards aay and th an sa hs tal out of atr.It as hghr than a g scyth lad and a vry pal lavndr aov th dark lu atr.It rakd ack and as th fsh sa just lo th surfac th old an could s hs hug ulk and th purpl strps that andd h.Hs dorsal fn as don and hs hug pctorals r sprad d.

On ths crcl th old an could s th fsh's y and th to gray suckng fsh that sa around h.Sots thy attachd thslvs to h.Sots thy dartd off. Sots thy ould s asly n hs shado.Thy r ach ovr thr ft long and hn thy sa fast thy lashd thr hol ods lk ls.

Th old an as satng no ut fro sothng ls sds th sun.On ach cal placd turn th fsh ad h as ganng ln and h as sur that n to turns or h ould hav a chanc to gt th harpoon n.

But I ust gt h clos, clos, clos, h thought. I ustn't try for th had.I ust gt th hart.

“B cal and strong,old an,”h sad.

On th nxt crcl th fsh's ack as out ut h as a lttl too far fro th oat.On th nxt crcl h as stll too far aay ut h as hghr out of atr and th old an as sur that y ganng so or ln h could hav h alongsd.

H had rggd hs harpoon long for and ts col of lght rop as n a round askt and th nd as ad fast to th tt n th o.

Th fsh as cong n on hs crcl no cal and autful lookng and only hs grat tal ovng.Th old an pulld on h all that h could to rng h closr.For just a ont th fsh turnd a lttl on hs sd.Thn h straghtnd hslf and gan anothr crcl.

“I ovd h,”th old an sad.“ I ovd h thn.”

H flt fant agan no ut h hld on th grat fsh all th stran that h could.I ovd h,h thought.May ths t I can gt h ovr.Pull,hands,h thought.Hold up,lgs.Last for ,had.Last for .You nvr nt.Ths t I'll pull h ovr.

But hn h put all of hs ffort on, startng t ll out for th fsh ca alongsd and pullng th all hs strngth, th fsh pulld part ay ovr and thn rghtd hslf and sa aay.

“Fsh,”th old an sad.“ Fsh,you ar gong to hav to d anyay.Do you hav to kll too?”

That ay nothng s accoplshd, h thought. Hs outh as too dry to spak ut h could not rach for th atr no.I ust gt h alongsd ths t,h thought.I a not good for any or turns.

Ys you ar,h told hslf.You'r good for vr.

On th nxt turn,h narly had h.But agan th fsh rghtd hslf and sa sloly aay.

You ar kllng fsh,th old an thought.But you hav a rght to.Nvr hav I sn a gratr,or or autful,or a calr or or nol thng than you,rothr.Co on and kll .I do not car ho klls ho.

No you ar gttng confusd n th had,h thought. You ust kp your had clar.Kp your had clar and kno ho to suffr lk a an.Or a fsh,h thought.

“Clar up,had,”h sad n a voc h could hardly har.“ Clar up.”

Tc or t as th sa on th turns.

I do not kno,th old an thought.H had n on th pont of flng hslf go ach t.I do not kno.But I ll try t onc or.

H trd t onc or and h flt hslf gong hn h turnd th fsh.Th fsh rghtd hslf and sa off agan sloly th th grat tal avng n th ar.

I'll try t agan, th old an prosd, although hs hands r ushy no and h could only s ll n flashs.

H trd t agan and t as th sa.So,h thought,and h flt hslf gong for h startd;I ll try t onc agan.

H took all hs pan and hat as lft of hs strngth and hs long gon prd and h put t aganst th fsh's agony and th fsh ca ovr onto hs sd and sa gntly on hs sd, hs ll alost touchng th plankng of th skff and startd to pass th oat,long,dp,d,slvr and arrd th purpl and ntrnal n th atr.

Th old an droppd th ln and put hs foot on t and lftd th harpoon as hgh as h could and drov t don th all hs strngth,and or strngth h had just suond, nto th fsh's sd just hnd th grat chst fn that ros hgh n th ar to th alttud of th an's chst.H flt th ron go n and h land on t and drov t furthr and thn pushd all hs ght aftr t.

Thn th fsh ca alv,th hs dath n h,and ros hgh out of th atr shong all hs grat lngth and dth and all hs por and hs auty.H sd to hang n th ar aov th old an n th skff.Thn h fll nto th atr th a crash that snt spray ovr th old an and ovr all of th skff.

Th old an flt fant and sck and h could not s ll. But h clard th harpoon ln and lt t run sloly through hs ra hands and,hn h could s,h sa th fsh as on hs ack th hs slvr lly up.Th shaft of th harpoon as projctng at an angl fro th fsh's shouldr and th sa as dscolorng th th rd of th lood fro hs hart.Frst t as dark as a shoal n th lu atr that as or than a l dp.Thn t sprad lk a cloud.Th fsh as slvr and stll and floatd th th avs.

Th old an lookd carfully n th glps of vson that h had. Thn h took to turns of th harpoon ln around th tt n th o and lad hs had on hs hands.

“Kp y had clar,”h sad aganst th ood of th o.“ I a a trd old an.But I hav klld ths fsh hch s y rothr and no I ust do th slav ork.”

No I ust prpar th nooss and th rop to lash h alongsd ,h thought.Evn f r to and sapd hr to load h and ald hr out,ths skff ould nvr hold h.I ust prpar vrythng,thn rng h n and lash h ll and stp th ast and st sal for ho.

H startd to pull th fsh n to hav h alongsd so that h could pass a ln through hs glls and out hs outh and ak hs had fast alongsd th o.I ant to s h, h thought,and to touch and to fl h.H s y fortun, h thought.But that s not hy I sh to fl h.I thnk I flt hs hart,h thought.Whn I pushd on th harpoon shaft th scond t.Brng h n no and ak h fast and gt th noos around hs tal and anothr around hs ddl to nd h to th skff.

“Gt to ork,old an,”h sad.H took a vry sall drnk of th atr.“ Thr s vry uch slav ork to don no that th fght s ovr.”

H lookd up at th sky and thn out to hs fsh.H lookd at th sun carfully.It s not uch or than noon,h thought.And th trad nd s rsng.Th lns all an nothng no.Th oy and I ll splc th hn ar ho.

“Co on,fsh,”h sad.But th fsh dd not co. Instad h lay thr allong no n th sas and th old an pulld th skff up onto h.

Whn h as vn th h and had th fsh's had aganst th o h could not lv hs sz.But h untd th harpoon rop fro th tt,passd t through th fsh's glls and out hs jas,ad a turn around hs sord thn passd th rop through th othr gll,ad anothr turn around th ll and knottd th doul rop and ad t fast to th tt n th o.H cut th rop thn and nt astrn to noos th tal.Th fsh had turnd slvr fro hs orgnal purpl and slvr,and th strps shod th sa pal volt color as hs tal.Thy r dr than a an's hand th hs fngrs sprad and th fsh's y lookd as dtachd as th rrors n a prscop or as a sant n a procsson.

“It as th only ay to kll h,”th old an sad.H as flng ttr snc th atr and h kn h ould not go aay and hs had as clar.H's ovr fftn hundrd pounds th ay h s,h thought.May uch or.If h drsss out to-thrds of that at thrty cnts a pound?

“I nd a pncl for that,”h sad.“My had s not that clar.But I thnk th grat DMaggo ould proud of today.I had no on spurs.But th hands and th ack hurt truly.”I ondr hat a on spur s,h thought.May hav th thout knong of t.

H ad th fsh fast to o and strn and to th ddl thart.H as so g t as lk lashng a uch ggr skff alongsd.H cut a pc of ln and td th fsh's lor ja aganst hs ll so hs outh ould not opn and thy ould sal as clanly as possl.Thn h stppd th ast and, th th stck that as hs gaff and th hs oo rggd,th patchd sal dr,th oat gan to ov,and half lyng n th strn h sald southst.