ee of us. Can you manage it now?"

"Yes," I said, standing up with my teeth chattering.

"Sure? Don't tumble in."

"I can do it," I said, and, trembling the while as if cold, I walked
dripping along the woodwork to the shore, where I sank down on the grass
as if my legs had suddenly given way, and crouched there watching, as I
saw the man from the farm, Jem Roff, with his arm round Mercer, whom he
had lifted right out, bring him streaming with water to the shore, and
the fishing-rod behind, while, as he lowered him on to the grass, there
was a horrible writhe from something wet close to me, which made me
start away.

"What have you two chaps been at?" cried Roff wonderingly. "The line's
all twissen round his legs,--and hold hard a minute till I get my knife.
I must have that eel."

CHAPTER FIVE.

"He's a two and a half pounder, he is," said Jem Roff as, after a bit of
a struggle, he got tight hold of the writhing monster. "My word," he
continued, holding it down, "he's a strong un! Here, you just slip your
hand into my jacket pocket and get out my knife. Open it, will you?"

I followed out his instructions, and handed him the opened knife, when
with one clever cut he divided the eel's backbone, and its writhings
almost ceased.

"There," continued Jem, taking hold of the line, "let's get you off.
What a tangle! why, it's reg'lar twissen all about your ankles. I must
break it. Why, it's tough as--look ye here," he continued, tugging at
the plaited silk, "it's strong enough to hold a whale. I shall have to
cut it. Bob Hopley won't mind."

_Snick_, and the line was divided, the eel thrown down, and Jem began to
untwine the line from about Mercer's legs, as the poor fellow, looking
terribly white and scared, now sat up on the grass, looking dolefully
from one to the other.

"My heye! you do look like a drownded rat, master," said Jem, chuckling.
"Lucky I come, warn't it?"

I looked angrily at the man, for he seemed horribly unfeeling, and then,
turning to Mercer,--

"How are you now?" I said.

"Very wet," he replied feebly.

"Raw, haw!" laughed Jem. "There, get up, you're clear now. Couldn't
swim a bit like that."

"No," said Mercer, getting up shivering, and shaking the water from his
hair.

"Worse disasters at sea, lads. Here, come on along o' me. Let's put
the rods back again;" and, taking the one he had dragged ashore with
Mercer, he whipped the line round the other and pulled it