gh
his fingers as jerk succeeded jerk. But the excitement made him hold on
and give out as slowly as he could. The friction, though, was such that
to check it he wound his left hand in the stout cord, but only to feel
it cut so powerfully into his flesh that during a momentary slackening
he gladly got his left hand free, lowered both, so that the line rested
on the gunwale of the boat, and, making this take part of the stress,
let the fish go.

"Best way to catch them fellows is to have a canoe and a very strong
line, so as he can tow you about till he's tired," said Shaddy.

"Is the end quite safe?" panted Rob, whose nerves were throbbing with
excitement; and he was wondering that his new friend could be so
impassive and cool.

"Yes, quite tight," was the reply, just as all the line had glided out;
and as Rob held on he was glad to have the help afforded by the line
being made fast to the pin.

"What do you say now, sir?" cried Shaddy.

"Oh, don't talk, pray."

"All right, sir, all right; but he's going it, ain't he? Taking a
regular gallop over the bottom, eh?"

"I do hope this hook will hold."

"It will," said Giovanni; "you can't say it's too big now."

"No," said Rob in a husky whisper. "But what is it--a shark?"

"I never heard o' sharks up in these parts," said Shaddy, laughing.

"Or would it be an alligator? It is awfully strong. Look at that."

This was as the prisoner made a furious rush through the water right
across the stern.

"Nay; it's no alligator, my lad. If it were I should expect to see him
come up to the top and poke out his ugly snout, as if to ask us what
game we called this. Precious cunning chaps they are, and as they live
by fishing, they'd say it wasn't fair."

"Oh, Shaddy, do hold your tongue!" cried Rob. "I say, Joe, how long
will it take to tire him?"

"Don't know," said the lad, laughing. "He's tiring you first."

"Yes; but how are we to get him on board?"

"Hullo, Rob, lad! caught a fish or a tartar?" said a fresh voice, and a
bronzed, sturdy man of about seven-and-thirty stepped up behind them,
putting on a pith helmet and suppressing a yawn, for he had just risen
from his nap under the awning.

"Think it's a Tartar," said Rob between his set teeth.

"Or a whale," said the fresh comer, laughing. "Perhaps we had better
cut adrift."

"No, no, sir," cried Rob excitedly. "I must catch him."

"I meant from the schooner, so as to let him tow us if he will