“Paddle, Dick, paddle all you know,” shouted Ned.

But Dick was already doing his very best.  The tarpon changed his course, came back a little, leaped once more and again started off.  But Ned had got a good many yards of line back on his reel, and was getting hopeful of landing his first tarpon.  He was beginning to lose line again, when the tarpon turned around and, swimming straight for the canoe, leaped against Ned with such fury that the craft was nearly capsized, and when Ned had recovered from the shock his line was nearly out and the fish headed for a little creek that was almost overgrown with trees and vines.  The first jump of the tarpon as he entered the stream carried him up among the bushes that hung over the water, but fortunately the line did not catch in the branches and, as the fish swam slowly up the little channel, the canoe was close behind him.  Ned held the point of his rod low, that it might not catch in the bushes, but his heart was up in his mouth every time the tarpon sprang in the air.

[Illustration:  “THE TARPON LEAPED AGAINST NED WITH FURY”]

“It’s no use, Dick, we’ve got to lose him.  He isn’t a bit tired and the tangle is getting worse.  Then if he turns back I won’t have room for the rod and you can’t turn the canoe.”

“Never say die, Ned.  If he gets away from you, I’ll go overboard and pick him up.”

“The creek’s opening out into a big river, Dick.  We may land him yet.”

The tarpon stayed in the big river, swimming a mile or so and then turning back, while Ned put all the strain he dared on rod and line and, excepting when the tarpon made a rush, Dick held his paddle still and let the fish tow the canoe by the line.

“We’ve got all the scales we want,” said Dick, “and I move we don’t gaff another tarpon.  When we have tired this one so it’s through jumping, let’s turn it loose.  We don’t need it to eat and I hate to feed sharks with such a beautiful creature.”

“Sure!” said Ned.  “And if it is as tired as I am it will give in pretty soon or die.”

The tarpon grew weaker, his leaps lower and soon the canoe was held close to him, while Ned even laid his hands on the tired fish.

“Think we can take him aboard, Dick?”

“I think you can swamp the canoe and break the rod, all right.”

“I don’t mind swamping the canoe and we can take care of the rod.  If you’ll take the rod now, I’ll hang on to his jaw and take out the hook, which I can see in the corner of his mouth.  Then, if you will look out for the rod and balance the canoe, I’ll slide that tarpon over the gunwale—­”

“And we will all go overboard together,” added Dick.

“No, we won’t, but just as soon as we have fairly caught him and got him in the canoe, we’ll slide him overboard again.”