ked his
companion. 'I never had any luck that way. I've tried in that brook
on the heath, but they mostly seem to slip through my fingers.'

'There's a knack about it,' replied the Raven. 'Now, I dessay, Dick,
ye tried to shut your hand round 'em.'

'Yes, I did,' said the Wolf.

'Ah, now, that's wheer ye went wrong,' returned his friend. 'Ye want
to mark 'em down under a stone or in a hole, then press 'em hard agin
the side, an' hold 'em theer a while. Then ye can jerk 'em out when
they've lost their wind a bit.'

Chippy proceeded to show how it was done. He slipped his shirt-sleeve
back to the shoulder, and introduced his hand cautiously into the hole.
He made a sudden movement, and snapped 'Got 'im!' and held on. A
minute later he drew out a small trout, his finger and thumb thrust
into the gills, and showed it to Dick.

'Quarter-pounder for ye,' he said, and dexterously broke its neck.

'Let's see if we can get enough for supper, Chippy,' cried Dick;
'they'd go down first-rate with the sandwiches;' for Mrs. Hardy had
insisted on storing their haversacks with a plentiful supply of ham and
beef sandwiches. They spent half an hour or more paddling about in the
cool, clear water, but only three small ones came to hand.

Then Chippy thrust his arm up a hole among the roots of an alder, and
gave a chuckle of delight. 'A big un at last,' he cried; 'I've got
'im.' But suddenly his note changed.

'Ow!' he yelled, in comic anguish, and whipped his hand out of the
hole. Blood was streaming from his forefinger.

'I say,' cried Dick, 'what a savage trout!'

''Tworn't a trout at all,' wailed the Raven; ''twor a big rat, an' he
bit me.'

The scouts roared with laughter as Chippy flipped the blood into the
water.

'He'd got you that time,' chuckled Dick.

'Sure enough,' nodded the Raven. 'I thought it wor' a pounder at the
least. He's nigh on bit my finger through.'

Dick had his patrol staff in hand: he thrust it up the hole and tried
to poke the rat out. But the hole twisted among the roots, and was a
safe fortress for its wily defender.

'Well, I've done all the gropin' I want, this time,' remarked Chippy,
washing his finger in the stream.

'Yes, we must be off again,' said Dick, and began slowly to wade
towards the bank where their shoes and stockings lay.

Suddenly he started and picked up one foot.

'Ah!' cried Dick, 'that was sharp, and no mistake.'

'Wot's the matter?' called out Chippy