H lkd to thnk of th fsh and hat h could do to a shark f h r sng fr.I should hav choppd th ll off to fght th th,h thought.But thr as no hatcht and thn thr as no knf.
But f I had,and could hav lashd t to an oar utt,hat a apon.Thn ght hav fought th togthr.What ll you do no f thy co n th nght?What can you do?“Fght th,”h sad.“ I'll fght th untl I d.”
But n th dark no and no glo shong and no lghts and only th nd and th stady pull of th sal h flt that prhaps h as alrady dad.H put hs to hands togthr and flt th pals.Thy r not dad and h could rng th pan of lf y sply opnng and closng th.H land hs ack aganst th strn and h kn h as not dad.Hs shouldrs told h.
I hav all thos prayrs I prosd f I caught th fsh, h thought.But I a too trd to say th no.I ttr gt th sack and put t ovr y shouldrs.
H lay n th strn and strd and atchd for th glo to co n th sky.I hav half of h,h thought.May I'll hav th luck to rng th forard half n.I should hav so luck.No,h sad.You volatd your luck hn you nt too far outsd.
“Don't slly,”h sad aloud.“And kp aak and str.You ay hav uch luck yt.”
“I'd lk to uy so f thr's any plac thy sll t,”h sad.
What could I uy t th?H askd hslf.Could I uy t th a lost harpoon and a rokn knf and to ad hands?“You ght,”h sad.“You trd to uy t th ghty-four days at sa.Thy narly sold t to you too.”
I ust not thnk nonsns,h thought.Luck s a thng that cos n any fors and ho can rcognz hr? I ould tak so though n any for and pay hat thy askd.I sh I could s th glo fro th lghts,h thought. I sh too any thngs.But that s th thng I sh for no. H trd to sttl or cofortaly to str and fro hs pan h kn h as not dad.
H sa th rflctd glar of th lghts of th cty at hat ust hav n around tn o'clock at nght.Thy r only prcptl at frst as th lght s n th sky for th oon rss.Thn thy r stady to s across th ocan hch as rough no th th ncrasng rz.H strd nsd of th glo and h thought that no,soon,h ust ht th dg of th stra.
No t s ovr, h thought. Thy ll proaly ht agan.But hat can a an do aganst th n th dark thout a apon?
H as stff and sor no and hs ounds and all of th strand parts of hs ody hurt th th cold of th nght.I hop I do not hav to fght agan,h thought.I hop so uch I do not hav to fght agan.
But y dnght h fought and ths t h kn th fght as uslss.Thy ca n a pack and h could only s th lns n th atr that thr fns ad and thr phosphorscnc as thy thr thslvs on th fsh.H clud at hads and hard th jas chop and th shakng of th skff as thy took hold lo.H clud dspratly at hat h could only fl and har and h flt sothng sz th clu and t as gon.
H jrkd th tllr fr fro th ruddr and at and choppd th t,holdng t n oth hands and drvng t don agan and agan.But thy r up to th o no and drvng n on aftr th othr and togthr,tarng off th pcs of at that shod glong lo th sa as thy turnd to co onc or.
On ca,fnally,aganst th had tslf and h kn that t as ovr.H sung th tllr across th shark's had hr th jas r caught n th havnss of th fsh's had hch ould not tar.H sung t onc and tc and agan. H hard th tllr rak and h lungd at th shark th th splntrd utt.H flt t go n and knong t as sharp h drov t n agan.Th shark lt go and rolld aay.That as th last shark of th pack that ca.Thr as nothng or for th to at.
Th old an could hardly rath no and h flt a strang tast n hs outh.It as coppry and st and h as afrad of t for a ont.But thr as not uch of t.
H spat nto th ocan and sad,“Eat that,Galanos. And ak a dra you'v klld a an.”