第4章 The Big Fish Bit the Hook[第3页/共9页]

No one should be alone in their old age,he thought.But it is unavoidable.I must remember to eat the tuna before he spoils in order to keep strong.Remember,no matter how little you want to,that you must eat him in the morning. Remember,he said to himself.

“He'll take it,”the old man said aloud.“God help him to take it.”

Then he said aloud,“I wish I had the boy.To help me and to see this.”

“They are good,”he said.“ They play and make jokes and love one another.They are our brothers like the flying fish.”

Just then,watching his lines,he saw one of the projecting green sticks dip sharply.

“What a fish,”he said.“ He has it sideways in his mouth now and he is moving off with it.”

“It was only his turn,”he said.“ He'll take it.”

He let the line slip through his fingers while he reached down with his left hand and made fast the free end of the two reserve coils to the loop of the two reserve coils of the next line.Now he was ready.He had three forty-fathom coils of line in reserve now,as well as the coil he was using.

This will kill him,the old man thought.He can't do this forever.But four hours later the fish was still swimming steadily out to sea,towing the skiff,and the old man was still braced solidly with the line across his back.