natural canal, to which he made fast the second
end of the net in a similar way, so that the water was sealed with a
light fence of network, whose lower edge was close to the black ooze of
the bottom, held there by the leaden sinkers of the foot line, the top
line being kept to the surface by a series of tightly-bound little
bundles of dry rushes.

"Theer," said Dave as soon as he had done, his proceedings having been
carefully watched; "that un do!"

"Will the fish go into that net?" said Marston.

"Nay, not unless we mak 'em, mester," said Dave, smiling. "Will they,
Mester Dick?"

"Not they," cried Dick. "Wait a minute, Mr Marston; you'll see."

Dave took his pole and, leaving the net behind, coasted along by the
shore of the little island formed by the canal or strait, which ran in,
zigzagging about like a vein in a piece of marble; and after about a
quarter of an hour's hard work he forced the punt round to the other
side of the island, and abreast of a similar opening to that which they
had left, in fact the other end of the natural canal or lane, here about
twelve or fourteen feet broad.

"Oh, I see!" said the engineer. "You mean to go in here, and drive the
fish to the net at the other end."

"That's the way, Mr Marston," said Tom Tallington. "Wait a bit, and
you'll see such a haul."

"Perhaps of an empty net, Mr Marston," said Dick with a grin. "Perhaps
there are none here."

"You set astarn, mester," said Dave. "I'll put her along, and you tak'
one side, Mester Dick; and you t'other, young Tom Tallington."

The boys had already taken up two long light poles that lay in the boat,
and standing up as Dave sent the boat along slowly and making a great
deal of disturbance with his pole, they beat and splashed and stabbed
the water on both sides of the boat, so as to scare any fish which might
happen to be there, and send them flying along the lane toward the net.

This was a comparatively easy task, for the coming of the boat was
sufficient as a rule to startle the timid fish, which in turn scared
those in front, the beating with the poles at either side sending
forward any which might be disposed to slip back.

There was more labour than excitement in the task; but the course along
the lane of water was not entirely uneventful, for a moor-hen was
startled from her nest in a half-liquid patch of bog, above which rose
quite a tuft of coarse herbage; and farther on, just as Dick thrust in
his pol