He could not see the fish's jumps but only heard the breaking of the ocean and the heavy splash as he fell.The speed of the line was cutting his hands badly but he had always known this would happen and he tried to keep the cutting across the calloused parts and not let the line slip into the palm nor cut the fingers.
Why was I not born with two good hands?He thought.Perhaps it was my fault in not training that one properly.But God knows he has had enough chances to learn.He did not do so badly in the night,though,and he has only cramped once.If he cramps again let the line cut him off.
The line went out and out and out but it was slowing now and he was making the fish earn each inch of it.Now he got his head up from the wood and out of the slice of fish that his cheek had crushed.Then he was on his knees and then he rose slowly to his feet.He was ceding line but more slowly all the time.He worked back to where he could feel with his foot the coils of line that he could not see.There was plenty of line still and now the fish had to pull the friction of all that new line through the water.
This is what we waited for,he thought.So now let us take it.
When he thought that he knew that he was not being clear-headed and he thought he should chew some more of the dolphin.But I can't,he told himself.It is better to be light-headed than to lose your strength from nausea.And I know I cannot keep it if I eat it since my face was in it.I will keep it for an emergency until it goes bad.But it is too late to try for strength now through nourishment.You're stupid, he told himself.Eat the other flying fish.