The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries Part 19

He had hardly finished speaking before Colin made a grab for his rod, and the catch was repeated in almost the same manner. This went on until five fish had been caught, the last one, which fell to the professor, putting up the most gamy fight of them all. But still it was too easy for real sport.

The ripple which Colin had been watching had come nearer, and in the catching of the last fish, the boat had been brought quite close to it.

Then, noiselessly, and like a strange vision, out from the undulating ripples rose slowly a creature more fantastic than the boy's wildest dreams. The head was green, with large unwinking, glittering eyes. In slow contortions, the body, of a transparency that showed the light through, writhed like a tremendous ribbon-snake, and a sharp row of serrated fins surmounted all its length, from which, near the head, scarlet streamers floated like a mane. A moment thus it held its head erect, then sank below the surface. The boy sat with his eyes fixed upon the spot where he had seen this weird appearance, unknown and ghostly-seeming.

"Colin," said the professor, and his tone was so imperative that the boy turned sharply, "what is the matter? What are you watching?"

"I don't know, sir," said the boy; "I don't know much about fish, and I was waiting until it came nearer. I was going to say----"

He stopped suddenly.

"What?" asked the professor, a little impatiently.

"You'd laugh at me," the boy answered.

"You saw----"

"I saw a big green head with large eyes and spines on its back put its head out of the water," Colin said doggedly, "and it had a bright red mane. I couldn't think of anything but--but,"--he hesitated and then gulped out,--"a sea-serpent."

He half feared to look at his companion, feeling that a pitying smile would greet his news, but after a few seconds' silence, he glanced up and saw that his fellow-fisherman was looking grave and thoughtful. At that instant the boy felt a quick snap at his line and he struck, the salmon whirling away instantly. It was a good fight, and the fish was full of grit, sending a curious thrumming sensation up the line that set every nerve aquiver. At last he got the fish stopped, and had just started to reel the big salmon in, when the apparition thrust its head out of the water not twenty feet from the boat. It distracted Colin's attention, and a few seconds later his line snapped.

"The salmon's got away," said Colin disgustedly.

"What does that matter?" said the professor. "We've something else to do."

"What?"

"Catch your sea-serpent," was the reply, as the older man pointed to the green and scarlet gleam in the water.

"It must be thirty feet long," Colin said, then realizing that his tone suggested that he was afraid, he added boldly, "but I'm game. What is it, anyway?"

"You're not so far off in calling it a sea-serpent," his companion said; "at least, it's more like the fabulous monster than any other fish that we know."

"But how are you going to catch it?" the boy asked.

"By hand," the professor replied, slipping off his outer clothes.

"You mean you're going in after it?" queried the boy with amazement.

"Certainly," the other answered; "it's harmless enough."

"It doesn't look it," said Colin, but he was not to be outdone, and prepared to follow his host into the water.

They ran the boat close to the creature, which swam but feebly despite its immense length, and the professor plunged over the side, holding the loop of a rope. A few strokes took him to the long, ribbon-like form, which was not thicker than a man's body, and he threw his arms about it, back of the head. The fish struggled weakly, but the professor did not let go, and in a few seconds Colin had brought up the boat. He then took the rope, which had been pa.s.sed around the soft and flabby body. Then, jumping overboard also, the boy helped the professor lift the fish from below, for the flesh was so soft that a rope would cut right through it.

With great exertion, for the creature was heavy, they got it on board, half swamping the boat in doing so. Despite its size, the strange visitor from the deep seemed scarcely able to struggle and lay motionless in the boat.

"What is it?" asked Colin, as he gazed on the snake-body and the strange head which, with its brilliant crimson mane, was reminiscent of some fiery horse of ancient legend.

"What can it be?" he repeated wonderingly.

"An oarfish," the professor answered.

"That isn't what I think it is," Colin replied. "I'm sure it's something quite different."

"What?" asked the professor, smiling.

"I believe something has killed the sea-serpent at the bottom of the sea and this is its ghost!"

CHAPTER V

CLUTCHED BY A HORROR OF THE DEEP

In order that the valuable specimen of the oarfish might be properly preserved, for the creature was so soft-fleshed that it would quickly shrivel in the hot sun, the professor accompanied Colin to Astoria the following morning, and shortly after they landed, the city was buzzing with news of the wonderful find. Before the boy left for Santa Catalina that evening he found his name in all the afternoon papers as being one of the men who had "caught the sea-serpent." As this was the first specimen in perfect preservation that had reached any city of the United States and, indeed, only the sixth ever reported from American sh.o.r.es, a great deal of interest was excited, and Colin was compelled to give an interview to a reporter, telling the story of the capture. He was sorry that his brother--to whom he had sent the blue fox--was not with the rest of the family in Santa Catalina, so that he could tell him all about it, but the younger lad was at a boys' camp.

Making a stay of only a couple of hours in Los Angeles, the boy went from there straight to San Pedro, where he took the steamer for Avalon, the only large town on Santa Catalina, and the most famous place in the entire world for taking big game fish with rod and reel.

The pa.s.sage was only of two hours' duration, and the weather ideal. The water of the channel was like a mirror, but the daily breeze sprang up at eleven o'clock, its accustomed hour.

Although no more attentive to scenery than most boys of his age, Colin fairly cried aloud with admiration as the steamer rounded the point and turned into Avalon Bay. Almost a perfect semicircle, the beach of glistening white sand enclosed a basin of turquoise sea in which were reflected the dark, rich tones of the cliffs, all glowing like an opal beneath the sun, while above rose the hills covered with the wild lilac and greasewood of California. Even the tame sea-lions which frequent the harbor and follow incoming boats, and which frequently are to be seen hauled up on small fishing-craft, seemed to fit wonderfully into the scene. A pa.s.senger who heard the boy's exclamation of delight, turned to him.

"That's the way I feel about it," he said. "I think it more beautiful every time I come."

"It makes me think of an abalone sh.e.l.l," Colin remarked thoughtfully, "before the outside is polished; the bay looks just like the glow of the sh.e.l.l inside and the sand-hills resemble the rough outside of the sh.e.l.l, with barnacles growing on it."

"Perhaps that is why it is called Avalon?" his companion said; "abalone, Avalon--it's not improbable, though I never heard such a derivation before; the Vale of Avalon in Pennsylvania is supposed to have been the prime factor in giving the name. But it's a wonderful place in itself, and besides, there's not one of those hundreds of boats moored in the harbor but could tell some thrilling tale of big game at sea. Look," he continued, as the steamer drew near to the entrance of the harbor, "there's a chap who's hooked to something big. By the way he's playing the fish it's probably a leaping tuna. Wait a minute and I'll tell you."

He unslung his fieldgla.s.ses and focused them on the boat.

"Yes, he's got a tuna," he continued, "for the flag is flying."

The news spread rapidly over the boat, for almost every one on board was going to Avalon for the angling, and the capture of a large tuna is an event. The gla.s.ses were handed from person to person, and presently were pa.s.sed to Colin, who noted with eager interest the little motor-boat and the big flag. Then he turned the gla.s.s on the people in the boat, and flashed out excitedly:

[Ill.u.s.tration: SEA-SERPENT STRANDED ON CALIFORNIA COAST.

Showing length of small specimen and its semi-transparency.

_By permission of Prof. David Starr Jordan._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE SEA-SERPENT CAUGHT BY COLIN.

Oarfish, thirty feet in length, with flaming red upstanding mane, and a knife-like body less than three inches in thickness.

_By permission of Prof. David Starr Jordan._]

"Why, that's Father!"