Rick kept the drag on his reel, letting the ray fight against the braking action. The fish didn't give up easily. It had the primitive nervous system and great vitality of its relatives, the sharks, and it fought long after an edible fish, like a rockfish, would have given up.
When the ray moved toward the now stationary boat, Rick reeled in line. When the ray showed a new burst of energy and started away, Rick let it fight against the drag, pulling out line.
The girls were down on the foredeck with him now, and Scotty had joined the Brants on the upper deck in order to get a better view of the fight.
Finally, the ray tired. Rick drew it in close to the hull and waited while the vicious tail lashed futilely. Jan took the gaff that Scotty handed down to her and gave it to Rick. He hooked the sea beast and lifted it from the water.
"Stand clear!" he warned. "I don't want either of you getting hit with that tail!"
The girls hurried up the ladder to safety, and Rick lifted the stingaree to the deck.
It was a small one, weighing about fifteen pounds. The wet, leathery body glistened, and the kite-shaped wings flapped like those of some fantastic bird.
Scotty looked down at the ray. "You caught a cripple," he said. "There's something wrong with it."
Rick looked up. He knew the answer, but he asked the question anyway, grinning. "Yes? What's wrong with it?"
"It can't fly," Scotty said.