Part 23 (1/2)

”Dom, you vos choking.”

”No, I'm not choking,” answered Tom. ”My breath is regular.”

”You know vot I mean.”

”Oh, pull in the catch!” cried Fred, impatiently.

”That's the talk!” added Sam. ”Say, Hans, you've got something big that's sure.”

Slowly but steadily the German youth reeled in, until his bait was within a few feet of the boat. Then from the water came something long and dark and slimy.

”It's a water snake!” yelled Tom.

”Oh my! safe me, somepody!” screamed Hans, and fell back in fright and came close to falling overboard. ”Cut der line! Ton't let him pite me!”

”It's no snake!” said Sam, quickly. ”But what is it?”

”I'll soon know,” answered d.i.c.k, and pulled in on the line a little more.

Then the object came alongside the boat and the boys set up a shout.

”A piece of old rope!”

”With a knot for a snake's head!”

”And a rock at the other end. This must have been used by somebody for an anchor.”

”That's it!”

”Say, vos you sure dot ain't no vater snake?” asked Hans, timidly. He had crawled to the bow of the boat, as far from the line as possible.

”See for yourself, Hans,” answered d.i.c.k.

Hans went forward cautiously and his eyes opened in wonder. Then a sickly grin spread over his round face.

”Huh! Dot's a fine fish, ain't he? Say, Sam, vos you goin' to fry him in putter oder in lard alretty?” And at this quaint query all the other boys set up a hearty laugh.

”Guess you'd better give up fis.h.i.+ng now,” said d.i.c.k, after the merriment was over. ”We've got enough for supper, and the best thing we can do is to reach the end of the lake and fix up our camp for the night. We want everything in first-cla.s.s shape, so that if a storm comes our things won't get soaked.”

”Oh, don't say storm!” cried Fred. ”I don't want to see rain.”

”We are bound to get some, Fred, sooner or later.”

The fis.h.i.+ng outfits were put away, and once more the boat moved over the bosom of the lake. They had pa.s.sed three other boats and saw one camp on the north sh.o.r.e.

”Hope we find the Point deserted,” said d.i.c.k.

”So do I,” answered Tom. ”We want to camp all by ourselves this time.”

It was not long before they came in sight of the sh.o.r.e and the rocky Point. Not a soul was in sight. They brought the boat around to a little cove and all leaped ash.o.r.e. Near at hand was the remains of a campfire, but it looked a week or more old.

”n.o.body here,” said d.i.c.k.