Before we had time to set ourselves to stroke we were being towed
as though we had been corks toward the opposite shore.
But it was soon over, handicapped as he was by four feet of
spears in his body. We felt the pull lessen and twisted ourselves
about, and in another minute had caught the water with a steady
dog-stroke and were holding our own. Soon we made headway, but it
was killing work.
"He weighs a thousand tons," panted Harry, and I nodded.
Pulling and puffing side by side, we gradually neared the center
of the lake, passed it, and approached the ledge. We were
well-nigh exhausted when we finally touched bottom and were able
to stand erect.
Hauling the fish onto the ledge, we no longer wondered at his
strength. He could not have been an ounce under four hundred
pounds, and was fully seven feet long. One of the spears ran
through the gills; the other was in his middle, just below the
backbone. We got them out with some difficulty and rolled him up
high and dry.
We straightened to return for the spears which we had left at the
edge of the water.
"He's got a hide like an elephant," said Harry. "What can we
skin him with?"
But I did not answer.
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