第6章 Tired of the Old Man[第2页/共13页]

An airplane passed overhead on its course to Miami and he watched its shadow scaring up the schools of flying fish.

For a long time after that everyone had called him The Champion and there had been a return match in the spring. But not much money was bet and he had won it quite easily since he had broken the confidence of the negro from Cienfuegos in the first match.After that he had a few matches and then no more.He decided that he could beat anyone if he wanted to badly enough and he decided that it was bad for his right hand for fishing.He had tried a few practice matches with his left hand.But his left hand had always been a traitor and would not do what he called on it to do and he did not trust it.

I'm learning how to do it,he thought.This part of it anyway.Then too,remember he hasn't eaten since he took the bait and he is huge and needs much food.I have eaten the whole bonito.Tomorrow I will eat the dolphin.He called it dorado.Perhaps I should eat some of it when I clean it.It will be harder to eat than the bonito.But,then,nothing is easy.

“I do not know,”he said aloud.“I never had a bone spur.”

He did not truly feel good because the pain from the cord across his back had almost passed pain and gone into a dullness that he mistrusted.But I have had worse things than that,he thought.My hand is only cut a little and the cramp is gone from the other.My legs are all right.Also now I have gained on him in the question of sustenance.