Старик и море

           Inthedarknessheloosenedhissheathknifeandtakingallthestrainofthefishonhisleftshoulderheleanedbackandcutthelineagainstthewoodofthegunwale. Thenhecuttheotherlineclosesttohimandinthedarkmadethelooseendsofthereservecoilsfast. Heworkedskillfullywiththeonehandandputhisfootonthecoilstoholdthemashedrewhisknotstight. Nowhehadsixreservecoilsofline. Thereweretwofromeachbaithehadseveredandthetwofromthebaitthefishhadtakenandtheywereallconnected. 

           Afteritislight,hethought, Iwillworkbacktotheforty-fathombaitandcutitawaytooandlinkupthereservecoils. IwillhavelosttwohundredfathomsofgoodCatalancordelandthehooksandleaders. Thatcanbereplaced. ButwhoreplacesthisfishifIhooksomefishanditcutshimoff? Idon’tknowwhatthatfishwasthattookthebaitjustnow. Itcouldhavebeenamarlinorabroadbillorashark. Ineverfelthim. Ihadtogetridofhimtoofast. 

           Aloudhesaid, "IwishIhadtheboy." 

           Butyouhaven’tgottheboy,hethought. Youhaveonlyyourselfandyouhadbetterworkbacktothelastlinenow,inthedarkornotinthedark, andcutitawayandhookupthetworeservecoils. 

           Sohedidit. Itwasdifficultinthedarkandoncethefishmadeasurgethatpulledhimdownonhisfaceandmadeacutbelowhiseye. Thebloodrandownhischeekalittleway. Butitcoagulatedanddriedbeforeitreachedhischinandheworkedhiswaybacktothebowandrestedagainstthewood.