ying over Bigley, who only laughed and worked on for
a few moments till Bob was not looking, and then sent a shower back.

Bob jumped out of the hole like a shot and turned upon Bigley angrily:

"You just see if I'm going to stop down there and be smothered with
water. Yah! Get out, you ugly old smuggler."

As he spoke he flung Bigley's great shoe with a good aim down by his
feet, and splashed him completely all over.

Some lads would have jumped out and pursued Bob in a fury, but Bigley
only brushed the water out of his eyes and began to laugh as if he
rather enjoyed it.

"Come on, Sep," he cried to me; "you and I will finish, and if he comes
near we'll give him such a dowsing."

I went to his help, and we worked so well that no less than six more
prawns came down to our pool, and were scooped out; and at last the
upper one was completely emptied, but it was nearly an hour's work.

"Now then, I'll go in," said Bob, and he crept in through the rift
between the two pools, and under the overhanging rocks.

"Oh!" he cried as soon as he was in, "what a jolly place! And--ugh!
Here's a conger."

"No!" we cried together.

"Yes there is, long as my arm, and he's squirming about. Here, give me
a landing-net. I'll poke him, and make him come out to you chaps."

We handed him the net, and he began banging and thrusting at the rock
for some time without result.

"Well, isn't he coming?" I cried.

"No; he gets up in a corner here so that I can only feel his slippery
tail with the stick, and he won't come out."

"Take hold of it with your hand and pull," said Bigley.

"Oh yes, I daresay. Just as if I didn't know there's only one place
where you can hold on."

"Where's that?" said Bigley.

"With your hand in his mouth. You come and put yours in."

Of course Bigley did not respond to the invitation, and the banging and
rattling went on for a few minutes longer.

"Why don't you chaps stand away from the light? I can't see," cried
Bob. "That's better: now I can tell. Look out, boys, look out! Here
he comes."

"Catch him in the net, Bob," I shouted.

"Yah! Don't talk stuff," was the answer. "Look out! Is he coming your
way?"

"No!" we both shouted, and then "Yes!" for there was a quick movement in
the channel between the two pools, and the next instant a large eel was
splashing and writhing in the water and sea-weed of the pool which we
had baled.

"Here he is, Bob!" we shouted; and, as we fini