ame Bob with a great pail, which he held under the sliding door
of the trap, telling Harry to pull it open. He did so, and into it
glided the pailful of different kinds of fish, while one monster of an
eel got half his body over the side and slipped out on to the damp
floor, where he began to wriggle and twist, evidently meaning to get
down one of the wheel channels. But Bob had seen one fine fellow slip
away that morning, and did not mean to lose this one; for he knew it
would be worth shillings to him, either to sell, or to send by his young
visitors up to Squire Inglis's; so at it he dashed, nearly upsetting the
pail as he hastily banged it down. And now began a regular battle, the
eel making for the water, and the eel-catcher keeping him away. It was
one of those monsters that are rarely caught by hook and line, but which
lie in the deep muddy holes of rivers, out of which places they mostly
sally when there is a flood.

Strong! it was as strong, Bob said, as a horse, and writhed and twisted
about so that he could not retain his grasp upon its slippery shiny
skin.

Twice he got it up in a corner, tight up against the brick wall, and
away it went again close to the water's edge and was nearly lost, but
for a lucky kick from Harry which saved it. No one else cared about
touching the monster, and at last it appeared as though the prize would
escape after all, for Bob was trying to retain it with one hand only--
the other appearing to be disabled in some way or another; but it was
not so, for Bob meant mischief, and his hand reappeared with his great
bread and cheese knife, which he opened with his teeth, and then, with
one great gash, nearly severed the unfortunate eel's head from his snaky
body.

"There!" said Bob, triumphantly; "that are the biggest eel I ever caught
in this here water. Why, he weighs six pound, I know he do. Shut the
door of that ere trap again, Master Harry, and there'll be some more
to-night, I know."

Saying this, Bob made a commotion in the pail by laying his great prize
on the top of the other captives, and then carried them all carefully up
into the mill, where the visitors proceeded to gloat over the spoil.

Two or three sacks were laid upon the mill floor, and then Bob emptied
the pail, and there they were, flapping, leaping, and writhing about;
such a collection of fish as would have made any angler glow and feel
proud to carry home. First there was the great eel--such a monste