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Fast-Fish and Loose-Fish

           AFast-Fishbelongstothepartyfasttoit.

           II.ALoose-Fishisfairgameforanybodywhocansoonestcatchit.

           Butwhatplaysthemischiefwiththismasterlycodeistheadmirablebrevityofit,whichnecessitatesavastvolumeofcommentariestoexpoundit.

           First:WhatisaFast-Fish?Aliveordeadafishistechnicallyfast,whenitisconnectedwithanoccupiedshiporboat,byanymediumatallcontrollablebytheoccupantoroccupantsamast,anoar,anine-inchcable,atelegraphwire,orastrandofcobweb,itisallthesame.Likewiseafishistechnicallyfastwhenitbearsawaif,oranyotherrecognizedsymbolofpossession;solongasthepartywailingitplainlyevincetheirabilityatanytimetotakeitalongside,aswellastheirintentionsotodo.

           Thesearescientificcommentaries;butthecommentariesofthewhalementhemselvessometimesconsistinhardwordsandharderknockstheCoke-upon-Littletonofthefist.True,amongthemoreuprightandhonorablewhalemenallowancesarealwaysmadeforpeculiarcases,whereitwouldbeanoutrageousmoralinjusticeforonepartytoclaimpossessionofawhalepreviouslychasedorkilledbyanotherparty.Butothersarebynomeanssoscrupulous.

           Somefiftyyearsagotherewasacuriouscaseofwhale-troverlitigatedinEngland,whereintheplaintiffssetforththatafterahardchaseofawhaleintheNorthernseas;andwhenindeedthey(theplaintiffs)hadsucceededinharpooningthefish;theywereatlast,throughperiloftheirlives,obligedtoforsakenotonlytheirlines,buttheirboatitself.

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