p furiously and nearly leap out,
renewing its efforts as another of its kind was thrown in to keep it
company.

"Is there a very big one, Dave?" cried Dick.

"Nay; nought very big," was the reply. "Draw her up, my lads. That's
reight."

As Dave spoke he kept on plunging his hands into the splashing and
struggling mass of fish, and sometimes brought out one, sometimes
missed. But he kept on vigorously till, feeling satisfied that the net
would bear the rest, he drew the loaded line well over into the boat,
and, giving the boys a hint to tighten the line, he plunged in his arms
once more, got well hold, and the next minute, by a dexterous lift,
raised the bag, so that its contents came pouring over the edge of the
punt in a silvery, glittering cataract of fish, leaping, gliding, and
flapping all over the bottom about his feet.

Then a few fish, which were hanging by their gills, their heads being
thrust through the meshes, were shaken out, the net bundled up together
and thrown into the fore part of the boat, and the little party came
together to gloat over their capture.

"Theer, lads," said Dave, coolly resuming his jacket, "you can pitch 'em
all into the baskets, all the sizable ones, and put all the little ones
back into the watter. I'll throost the punt back, so as young Tom
Tallington can get some dry clothes."

These latter were the last things in Tom's mind, for just then, as Dave
resumed the pole, and began sending the boat quickly through the water,
the boy was trying to grasp an eel, which had found the meshes one size
too small for his well-fed body, and was now in regular serpentine
fashion trying to discover a retreat into which he could plunge, and so
escape the inevitable frying-pan or pot.

Irrespective of the fact that a large eel can bite sharply, it is, as
everyone knows, one of the most awkward things to hold, for the moment a
good grip of its slimy body is made, the result seems to be that it
helps the elongated fish to go forward or slip back. And this Tom found
as he grasped the eel again and again, only for it to make a few
muscular contortions and escape.

Then Dick tried, with no better effect, the pursuit lasting till the
active fish made its way in among the meshes of the net, when its
capture became easy, and it was swept into the great basket, to set the
pike flapping and leaping once more.

Then the sorting commenced, all the small fish being thrown back to
increase in size