Cutting Away the Other Lines

In the darkness, another bait is taken, and the line breaks. Santiago cuts the other lines to prevent tangles, using his left hand while holding the marlin with his right. He loses two hundred fathoms of good line but gains six reserve coils. The work is difficult, and the fish's sudden surge pulls him down, cutting his face. He works his way back to the bow, adjusts the sack, and rests. He vows to stay with the fish until he dies.