Whentheyreachedtheoldman』sshacktheboytooktherollsoflineinthebasketandtheharpoonandgaffandtheoldmancarriedthemastwiththefurledsailonhisshoulder.
「Doyouwantcoffee?」theboyasked.
「We』llputthegearintheboatandthengetsome.」
Theyhadcoffeefromcondensedmilkcansatanearlymorningplacedthatservedfishermen.
「Howdidyousleepoldman?」theboyasked.Hewaswakingupnowalthoughitwasstillhardforhimtoleavehissleep.
「Verywell,Manolin,」theoldmansaid.「Ifeelconfidenttoday.」
「SodoI,」theboysaid.「NowImustgetyoursardinesandmineandyourfreshbaits.Hebringsourgearhimself.Heneverwantsanyonetocarryanything.」
「We』redifferent,」theoldmansaid.「Iletyoucarrythingswhenyouwerefiveyearsold.」
「Iknowit,」theboysaid.「I』llberightback.Haveanothercoffee.Wehavecredithere.」
Hewalkedoff,bare-footedonthecoralrocks,totheicehousewherethebaitswerestored.
Theoldmandrankhiscoffeeslowly.Itwasallhewouldhavealldayandheknewthatheshouldtakeit.Foralongtimenoweatinghadboredhimandhenevercarriedalunch.Hehadabottleofwaterinthebowoftheskiffandthatwasallheneededfortheday.
Theboywasbacknowwiththesardinesandthetwobaitswrappedinanewspaperandtheywentdownthetrailtotheskiff,feelingthepebbledsandundertheirfeet,andliftedtheskiffandslidherintothewater.
「Goodluckoldman.」
「Goodluck,」theoldmansaid.Hefittedtheropelashingsoftheoarsontothetholepinsand,leaningforwardagainstthethrustofthebladesinthewater,hebegantorowoutoftheharbourinthedark.Therewereotherboatsfromtheotherbeachesgoingouttoseaandtheoldmanheardthedipandpushoftheiroarseventhoughhecouldnotseethemnowthemoonwasbelowthehills.
Sometimessomeonewouldspeakinaboat.Butmostoftheboatsweresilentexceptforthedipoftheoars.Theyspreadapartaftertheywereoutofthemouthoftheharbourandeachoneheadedforthepartoftheoceanwherehehopedtofindfish.Theoldmanknewhewasgoingfaroutandheleftthesmellofthelandbehindandrowedoutintothecleanearlymorningsmelloftheocean.HesawthephosphorescenceoftheGulfweedinthewaterasherowedoverthepartoftheoceanthatthefishermencalledthegreatwellbecausetherewasasuddendeepofsevenhundredfathomswhereallsortsoffishcongregatedbecauseoftheswirlthecurrentmadeagainstthesteepwallsoftheflooroftheocean.Heretherewereconcentrationsofshrimpandbaitfishandsometimesschoolsofsquidinthedeepestholesandtheseroseclosetothesurfaceatnightwhereallthewanderingfishfedonthem.
Inthedarktheoldmancouldfeelthemorningcomingandasherowedheheardthetremblingsoundasflyingfishleftthewaterandthehissingthattheirstiffsetwingsmadeastheysoaredawayinthedarkness.Hewasveryfondofflyingfishastheywerehisprincipalfriendsontheocean.Hewassorryforthebirds,especiallythesmalldelicatedarkternsthatwerealwaysflyingandlookingandalmostneverfinding,andhethought,thebirdshaveaharderlifethanwedoexceptfortherobberbirdsandtheheavystrongones.Whydidtheymakebirdssodelicateandfineasthoseseaswallowswhentheoceancanbesocruel?Sheiskindandverybeautiful.Butshecanbesocruelanditcomessosuddenlyandsuchbirdsthatfly,dippingandhunting,withtheirsmallsadvoicesaremadetoodelicatelyforthesea.
HealwaysthoughtoftheseaaslamarwhichiswhatpeoplecallherinSpanishwhentheyloveher.Sometimesthosewholovehersaybadthingsofherbuttheyarealwayssaidasthoughshewereawoman.Someoftheyoungerfishermen,thosewhousedbuoysasfloatsfortheirlinesandhadmotorboats,boughtwhenthesharklivershadbroughtmuchmoney,spokeofheraselmarwhichismasculine.Theyspokeofherasacontestantoraplaceorevenanenemy.Buttheoldmanalwaysthoughtofherasfeminineandassomethingthatgaveorwithheldgreatfavours,andifshedidwildorwickedthingsitwasbecauseshecouldnothelpthem.Themoonaffectsherasitdoesawoman,hethought.
Hewasrowingsteadilyanditwasnoeffortforhimsincehekeptwellwithinhisspeedandthesurfaceoftheoceanwasflatexceptfortheoccasionalswirlsofthecurrent.Hewaslettingthecurrentdoathirdoftheworkandasitstartedtobelighthesawhewasalreadyfurtheroutthanhehadhopedtobeatthishour.
Iworkedthedeepwellsforaweekanddidnothing,hethought.TodayI』llworkoutwheretheschoolsofbonitoandalbacoreareandmaybetherewillbeabigonewiththem.
Beforeitwasreallylighthehadhisbaitsoutandwasdriftingwiththecurrent.Onebaitwasdownfortyfathoms.Thesecondwasatseventy-fiveandthethirdandfourthweredowninthebluewateratonehundredandonehundredandtwenty-fivefathoms.Eachbaithungheaddownwiththeshankofthehookinsidethebaitfish,tiedandsewedsolidandalltheprojectingpartofthehook,thecurveandthepoint,wascoveredwithfreshsardines.Eachsardinewashookedthroughbotheyessothattheymadeahalf-garlandontheprojectingsteel.Therewasnopartofthehookthatagreatfishcouldfeelwhichwasnotsweetsmellingandgoodtasting.