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¨What can I do； papa？〃
¨Nothing。 Youˇre doing what there is to do。〃
¨Wonˇt he hit the bottom？〃 Andrew asked。
¨There isnˇt any bottom；〃 Roger told him。
¨You hold him； Davy；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Heˇll get sick of it and come up。〃
¨These damned straps are killing me；〃 David said。 ¨They cut my shoulders off。〃
¨Do you want me to take him？〃 Andrew asked。 ¨No； you fool；〃 David said。 ¨I just said what they were doing to me。 I donˇt care about it。〃
¨See if you can rig him the kidney harness；〃 Thomas Hudson called down to Eddy。 ¨You can tie it on with line if the straps are too long。〃
Eddy wrapped the broad； quilted pad across the small of the boyˇs back and fastened the rings on the web straps that ran across it to the reel with heavy line。
¨Thatˇs much better；〃 David said。 ¨Thank you very much； Eddy。〃
¨Now you can hold him with your back as well as your shoulders；〃 Eddy told him。
¨But there isnˇt going to be any line。〃 David said。 ¨Oh Goddam him； why does he have to keep on sounding？〃
¨Tom；〃 Eddy called up。 ¨Ease her a little northwest。 I think heˇs moving。〃
Thomas Hudson turned the wheel and moved her softly； slowly； softly out to sea。 There was a big patch of yellow gulf weed ahead with a bird on it and the water was calm and so blue and clear that； as you looked down into it； there were lights in it like the reflections from a prism。
¨You see？〃 Eddy told David。 ¨Youˇre not losing any now。〃
The boy could not raise the rod； but the line was no longer jerking down into the water。 It was as taut as ever and there werenˇt fifty yards left on the reel。 But it was not going out。 David was holding him and the boat was on his course。 Thomas Hudson could see the just perceptible slant of the white line deep down in the blue water as the boat barely moved； its engines turning so quietly he could not hear them。
¨You see； Davy； he went down to where he liked it and now heˇs moving out to where he wants to go。 Pretty soon youˇll get some line on him。〃
The boyˇs brown back was arched； the rod bent； the line moved slowly through the water； and the boat moved slowly on the surface； and a quarter of a mile below the great fish was swimming。 The gull left the patch of weed and flew toward the boat。 He flew around Thomas Hudsonˇs head while he steered； then headed off toward another patch of yellow weed on the water。
¨Try to get some on him now；〃 Roger told the boy。 ¨If you can hold him you can get some。〃
¨Put her ahead just a touch more；〃 Eddy called to the bridge and Thomas Hudson eased her ahead as softly as he could。
David lifted and lifted； but the rod only bent and the line only tightened。 It was as though he were hooked to a moving anchor。
¨Never mind；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Youˇll get it later。 How are you； Davy？〃
¨Iˇm fine；〃 David said。 ¨With that harness across my back Iˇm fine。〃
¨Do you think you can stay with him？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Oh shut up；〃 David said。 ¨Eddy； can I have a drink of water？〃
¨Whereˇd I put it？〃 Eddy asked。 ¨I guess I spilled it。〃
¨Iˇll get one；〃 Andrew went below。
¨Can I do anything； Dave？〃 young Tom asked。 ¨Iˇm going up so I wonˇt be in the way。〃
¨No； Tom。 Goddam it； why canˇt I lift on him？〃
¨Heˇs an awfully big fish； Dave；〃 Roger told him。 ¨You canˇt bull him around。 Youˇve got to lead him and try to convince him where he has to come。〃
¨You tell me what to do and Iˇll do it until I die；〃 David said。 ¨I trust you。〃
¨Donˇt talk about dying；〃 Roger said。 ¨Thatˇs no way to talk。〃
¨I mean it；〃 David said。 ¨I mean it really。〃
Young Tom came back up on the flying bridge with his father。 They were looking down at David； bent and harnessed to his fish； with Roger standing by him and Eddy holding the chair。 Andrew was putting the glass of water to Daveˇs mouth。 He took some in and spat it out。
¨Pour some on my wrists； will you； Andy？〃 he asked。
¨Papa； do you think he can really stay with this fish？〃 Tom said to his father very softly。
¨Itˇs an awful lot of fish for him。〃
¨It scares me；〃 Tom said。 ¨I love David and I donˇt want any damned fish to kill him。〃
¨Neither do I and neither does Roger and neither does Eddy。〃
¨Well weˇve got to look after him。 If he gets in really bad shape； Mr。 Davis ought to take the fish or you take him。〃
¨Heˇs a long way from bad shape yet。〃
¨But you donˇt know him like we do。 He would kill himself to get the fish。〃
¨Donˇt worry； Tom。〃
¨I canˇt help it；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Iˇm the one in the family that always worries。 I hope Iˇll get over it。〃
¨I wouldnˇt worry about this now；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨But papa； how is a boy like David going to catch a fish like that？ Heˇs never caught anything bigger than sailfish and amberjack。〃
¨This fish will get tired。 Itˇs the fish that has the hook in his mouth。〃
¨But heˇs monstrous；〃 Tom said。 ¨And Daveˇs fastened to him just as much as he is to Dave。 Itˇs so wonderful I canˇt believe it if Dave catches him； but I wish you or Mr。 Davis had him。
¨Daveˇs doing all right。〃
They were getting further out to sea all the time but it was still a flat calm。 There were many patches of Gulf weed now； sunburned so that they were yellow on the purple water； and sometimes the slow…moving taut white line ran through a patch of weed and Eddy reached down and cleared any weed that clung to the line。 As he leaned over the coaming and pulled the yellow weed off the line and tossed it away； Thomas Hudson saw his wrinkled red brown neck and old felt hat and heard him say to Dave； ¨Heˇs practically towing the boat； Davy。 Heˇs way down there tiring himself and tiring himself all the time。〃
¨Heˇs tiring me； too；〃 David said。
¨You got a headache？〃 Eddy asked。
¨No。〃
¨Get a cap for him；〃 Roger said。
¨I donˇt want it； Mr。 Davis。 Iˇd rather have some water on my head。〃
Eddy dipped a bucket of sea water and wet the boyˇs head carefully with his cupped hand； soaking his head and pushing the hair back out of his eyes。
¨You say if you get a headache；〃 he told him。
¨Iˇm fine；〃 David said。 ¨You tell me what to do； Mr。 Davis。〃
¨See if you can get any line on him；〃 Roger said。
David tried and tried and tried again but he could not raise the fish an inch。
¨All right。 Save your strength；〃 Roger told him。 Then to Eddy； ¨Soak a cap and put it on him。 This is a hell of a hot day with the calm。〃
Eddy dipped a long…visored cap in the bucket of salt water and put it on Daveˇs head。
¨The salt water gets in my eyes； Mr。 Davis。 Really。 Iˇm sorry。〃
¨Iˇll wipe it out with some fresh；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Give me a handkerchief； Roger。 You go get some ice water； Andy。〃
While the boy hung there； his legs braced； his body arched against the strain； the boat kept moving slowly out to sea。 To the westward a school of either bonito or alba…core were troubling the calm of the surface and terns commenced to come flying； calling to each other as they flew。 But the school of fish went down and the terns lit on the calm water to wait for the fish to