Catching an Albacore

The stern line suddenly goes taut under Santiago's foot. He hauls in a small tuna, an albacore weighing about ten pounds. He kills it and stores it under the shade of the stern, planning to use it as bait for a larger fish. This catch provides fresh bait and later food. The old man begins talking aloud to himself, a habit he developed after the boy left. He thinks about baseball and the great DiMaggio, but forces himself to focus on the task at hand: fishing.