Jack's inclination said, "Give the line over to the man who understands it," but pride said "No"; and he wound away till the wheel was nearly jerked from his hands by a fresh dart made by the captive. And so it went on for some minutes, till the fish began to show symptoms of becoming exhausted; so did Jack, upon whose face the perspiration was standing in beads. "Here, Lenny," cried the mate, "go and get the big gaff-hook. We shall have this fellow." The man ran forward, and Jack, with eyes fixed, began to play his fish with a little more _nous_, but it was terribly hard work. "Tell me when you're tired," said the mate. "Now." "Shall I play him for you?" "No, no! Don't touch it," cried Jack, who was unaware for some moments that he had an audience to look on. "Oh no, I won't touch till you tell me," said the mate. "Bravo!" cried the doctor; "capital. Well done, Jack, that's the way. I ought to have been here. Why you've got hold of a thumper." So it proved, for the fish showed no sign of giving in for another quarter of an hour, and various were the comments made as to the probability of its being got on deck; but at last the darts grew shorter and shorter, and far astern they saw a gleam from time to time of something silvery and creamy as there was a wallowing and rolling on the surface, and now the mate took hold of the keen hook attached to a light ten-foot ash pole. "Perhaps you'd like to gaff him, Doctor Instow," said the mate. "No, no," replied the doctor. "Fair play. You two were fishing. Land him yourself." "What shall I do now?" said Jack, who was panting with his exertions. "Let the winch go down on the deck, and haul the fish in hand over hand till you get him close in." Jack followed his instructions, and the captive, completely exhausted, now came in fast enough, proving to be far larger than any of those present had expected to see, but about a tenth of what Jack had imagined from the strength the creature had displayed. In fact there had been moments when the lad had again been calculating whether at one of the fiercest rushes he would not have to let go and so escape being dragged over the rail. But now, half drowned by being drawn through the water, the fish came in slowly and quietly, the lad having all the hauling to himself, till, leaning over, the mate made a dart and a snatch with the great gaff-hook, the weight on Jack's arms suddenly ceased, and, helped by the big dark sailor, Mr Bartlett hauled the prisoner quickly in over the rail, for it to lie beating the white boards with sounding slaps of its crescent-moon-shaped tail. "Well done!" cried Sir John. "What brilliant colours!" "Hah! yes," cried the doctor. "This is something like fishing. What is it, captain?" "Oh, one of the great mackerel tribe fellows they have in the Mediterranean. It isn't a bonito, for it's too big, but just as bright in its colours. Can't be a small tunny come down through the Canal, can it?"