Part 48 (1/2)
”No need to You wouldn't let ood fry”
Vince ran to the wall, where their lines hung upon a peg; and now they noticed, for the first ti the late store at one side of the cave mouth, but had only come in some twenty or thirty feet
Their baits, in a box pierced with holes to let the water in and out, were quite well and lively; and putting some of these in a tray, they went cautiously out from rock to rock in the wide archway till there was deep water just beyond for quite another twenty feet; then rocks again, and beyond the rush and hurry of the swift currents, while the pool before theh in motion, looked smooth and still, save that a close inspection showed that the surface was entle current, which apparently rose froht
It was an ideal place for sea-fishi+ng, for the great deep pool was free from rocks save those which surrounded it, and not a thread of weed or wrack to be seen ready to entangle their lines or catch their hooks; while they knew froe shoals, which sought it as a sanctuary froe fish which preyed upon them
In addition, the place they stood upon was a dry, rocky platforainst which they could lean their backs, whilst another e was just in front, as if on purpose to hide thereat pool
Partly behind theht was the entrance to the seals' hole, fro fro Mike turn his head quickly in that direction, and bringing a smile to Vince's lips
”Ah! it's all very well,” said Mike sourly, ”but everybody isn't so brave as you are”
”Might as well have lit our fire before we caood of lighting the fire till we knohether we shall get any fish?” said Mike ”We didn't catch one last tih you could see hundreds”
”To boil the kettle and et hold of the bait, pausing to look back over the ridge which shut hio back and light the fire,” he said, as he fixed his eyes on the dark spot which they ht spot they occupied, which was as far as they could get out towards the open cove
”No, no; sit down,” said Mike impatiently ”We didn't catch any last ti about on the rocks here, and showing the fish that you were coood fire in a few minutes There's plenty of wood, and we're in no hurry”
”Youabout,” retorted Vince ”Very well,” he added, seating himself, ”it shan't betiht, or to stop till it was dark, we should be hauling them out as fast as we could throw in our--our”--_splash_--”lines”
For as Vince spoke he had resu-worm on his hook and thrown the lead into the water, where it sank rapidly, drawing after it the line over the low ridge of rock
”There,” said Vince, as his companion followed his example, ”I won't move, and I won't make a sound”
”Don't,” said Mike: ”I do want to catch soht: I won't speak if you don't”
”First who speaks pays sixpence,” said Mike
”Agreed Silence!”
The fishi+ng began, but fishi+ng did notto take their attention but an unusual cla on the part of the sea-birds, which, instead of sitting about preening and drying their plue, or with their feathers almost on end, till they looked like balls as they sat asleep in the sun, kept on rising in flights,as they swept round and round the cove, constantly passing out of sight before swooping down again upon the great rocks which shut out the view of the open sea
Lines were drawn up, rebaited, and thrown in again, with the faint splashes made by the leads, and they tried close in to the side, to the other side, to right and left; but all in vain,--the baits were eaten off, and they felt that so was at their hooks, but whether they struck directly, or gave plenty of ti was taken and the hours passed away
They were perforh, as for them quite a feat, for each boy had fully made up his mind that he would not have to pay that sixpence They looked at each other, and laughingly gri words, and abused the fish silently for not caring to be caught, but not a as spoken; till all at once, after a tremendous display of patience, Vince suddenly struck and cried: