Part 11 (1/2)

In he dashed again, full of fury, and round and round, and backwards and forwards, he was played; at one time sweeping right up to the mill wheels, and nearly getting the line entangled in the piles; then making a mighty spurt to gain the river where the weeds grew so thickly; but he got no farther than the sandy bar at the mouth of the pool, where he had to turn on one side to swim in the shallows, for here he was checked again, and brought back almost unresisting into the deep water, his master's rod bending like a cart-whip as the fish was dragged back. And so for nearly half an hour did the battle continue, the fish being gently brought back after every dash he made, for Mr Inglis dared not attempt to land the monster till he was thoroughly exhausted; and well was it that the line was one of the newest and strongest, or the slight silk cord would never have borne the strain that was put upon it... But it held good, and now the exhausted fish seemed to make its last effort to escape; and it was very nearly a successful one, for, after darting about ten yards almost to the bottom of the pool, Mr Inglis found that there was some extra resistance, and that the line was entangled.

Had this happened earlier in the struggle, the pike must have been lost, for the line would have snapped; but now the fish had fought out his fight, and scarcely attempted to move, while Dusty Bob, who had been watching the proceedings with the most intense interest, went to the mill-yard and fetched the great rake he used to clear the weeds away with, and by means of a little raking he got hold of the obstruction, which upon being drawn to the surface proved to be an old branch, and round a rugged part the line was just hitched. A sharp blow from the rake snapped the bough in two, and the line was again at liberty, the great fish being drawn to the side at the mouth of the pool, where the water was only a few inches deep, and landed amidst a burst of cheers from the delighted boys, while even Bob gave a loud ”Hooray,” though he seemed rather sorry than otherwise that the water should lose so fine a fish; but the ”Hooray” was brought forth by the thoughts of a prospective s.h.i.+lling which Mr Inglis would most likely give him, and then perhaps he would have to carry the fish home as well, and get some bread and cheese and ale up at the house.

So ”Hooray,” said Dusty Bob, with a most hypocritical countenance; and ”Hooray--ay--ay--ay--ay--ay,” cheered the boys again; and there were no end of epithets lavished upon the fish, such as ”Beauty”, ”Monster,”

”Jolly one.” etc, etc, for the admiration of the party seemed boundless.

Bob then had to carry the pike into the mill, where it was put into the flour-scales and weighed, and found to balance nineteen pounds and a half in the weight-scale--an announcement which was received with renewed cheers; and upon measurement he was found to be two feet six inches long; while of all the mouths that ever pike had, his seemed the widest and fullest of long hooked teeth--projecting backwards, so as to render it impossible for a fish to escape out of his jaws if once he caught hold of it.

This brought the fis.h.i.+ng to a conclusion for that afternoon; and so the lines were wound up, rods disjointed and placed in their bags, and all the rest of the angling paraphernalia collected into the baskets, while one was expressly devoted to the fish. But now a new difficulty arose-- the chub could be got into the basket, but how about a pike two feet six inches long? Then, too, Bob wanted to carry the pike right up to the house--evidently meaning to make a show of it by the way, so as to be asked to have a gla.s.s of beer or two for his trouble. But this was an honour that Bob was not to have, for the boys were almost squabbling as to who should have the duty. Fred, however, soon backed out, for while touching the pike, and feeling its weight, it bent itself like a bow, and then gave such a spring that he jumped away as thou eh be had been shot, and directly waived all claims to the honour of carriage, which now lay between Harry and Philip, who at last grew so warm on the subject, that one had hold of the head and the other the tail, the latter place of vantage being occupied by Harry, and a matter of French and English tugging was about to commence when Mr Inglis interposed, and settled the matter by arranging that Philip should carry the trophy half-way, and Harry the remainder: which decision had hardly been arrived at, when Master Harry must try whether the pike would bite; which he did by holding the gasping mouth to the tail of Dusty Bob's coat.

Whether sensible that it was biting or no, the fish's mouth closed upon the floury cloth, and held there with such tenacity that the piece had to be cut out--so firmly were the jagged and hooked teeth inserted in the woolly fabric.

This, of course, produced a scolding for Master Harry for his mischievous trick, and a piece of coin for Bob to get the hole repaired; and then the party returned in triumph to tea--the boys as proud of their acquisition as any Roman conqueror who led his treasure-burdened slave through the streets of the city of Romulus.

CHAPTER TEN.

A SAD AFFAIR.

”Oh do come in, Fred!” said Harry, blowing and splas.h.i.+ng about in the water like a small whale, on the day following the fis.h.i.+ng excursion.

The lads were down by the side of the river, in a spot called Withy Nook--a green snug place entirely sheltered from all observation--a spot with the emerald gra.s.s sloping down to where the river ran by, sparkling and dancing in the golden sunlight, flas.h.i.+ng back the bright rays from the tiny wavelets, and making the golden waterlilies rise and fall as they rode upon the bright surface. The water was so limpid that the sand and clean washed pebbles could be easily seen at the bottom, except when the water was put in a state of turmoil by the antics of the two boys who were bathing.

”Oh do come in, Fred!” echoed Philip; ”it isn't a bit cold, and not deep; and you ought to learn to float and swim.”

”Oh come on,” said Harry again.

Fred felt that he would like to go in and have a dip, for the water looked so cool and bright and clear; but there was a certain amount of timidity to be got over; he had never been in anything but a bath in his life, and plunging at once into a river was a novel feat that he could hardly summon courage to attempt. But at last the persuasions of his cousins had the desired effect, and Fred quickly undressed, and then stood upon the bank, afraid to take his first dip; but again were the persuasions of his cousins brought into play, and the London boy took his first step into the water, and then made a half slip, so that he came down sideways and went right under the surface, but regained his feet, with the water singing and rumbling in his ears, his eyes close shut, and the drops streaming down him as fast as they could run.

”Oh--ah--ah,” said Fred, gasping.

”Haw--haw--haw!” burst from Harry, as he laughed heartily at his cousin.

”Don't grin like that, Hal,” said Philip, helping Fred out of his difficulty, and steadying him as he stood breast high in the water, rubbing his eyes, and trying to get rid of the feeling of bewilderment that had come over him upon his sudden immersion.

”Oh, isn't it queer?” said Fred, as soon as he had finished gasping, and spitting out the water he had in his mouth.

”Not a bit of it,” said Harry, ”only you were in such a hurry to get under the water. Now, then, try and swim: see me go dog's paddle,” and then the young dog set to paddling away as though he had lived in the water half his lifetime. ”Hold his chin up, Phil, and he'll soon do it.”

But Fred did not want to have his chin held up, nor yet to be touched; he preferred to wade gently about in the clear water by himself, while his cousins swam backwards and forwards across the river--here not twenty yards broad.

”Make haste and learn to swim, Fred, it's so easy,” said Harry, ”and such capital fun. Look here; see me dive.” And then, turning heels upwards in the water, he went down out of sight, to Fred's great horror, but came up again directly, and then floated upon his back, swam sideways, and did other feats that seemed to Fred little short of wonders--so easily and deftly were they performed.

”Now then, Phil,” said Harry, ”I'll race you up to the pollard, and back to Fred. Come on!”

Philip did ”come on,” and the boys swam up stream towards the willow pollard which overhung the river about fifty yards off. Away they went, working away manfully, for it was hard work against the running water.

Sometimes Philip got a little ahead, and sometimes it was Harry; but Philip was first when they reached the pollard-tree, and he kept ahead, too, as they came easily back down stream towards the spot from whence they started.

”Hallo!” puffed out Harry, all at once, ”where's Fred?”