have a spot
to yourself; and I'll answer for it before long that you will have
plenty." Gregson himself, as he spoke, threw in his line, and as Tom
looked on, caught several perch and roach in rapid succession.

"Oh, I can't stand that; I must go and see what I can do," exclaimed
Bouldon, moving on.

"Very well, just go a little on this side of that willow," said Gregson;
"you will find a deepish hole there. Throw in your ground-bait, and
before long you are very likely to get some bites. See; I've caught
another. What a whacking big perch! Three pounds' weight, I should
say. I'll have him out soon; don't stay for me, I can tackle him."
This success of Gregson's made Bouldon still more anxious to be off to
try and catch some fish. Hitherto he had got nothing. Having thrown in
all the ground-bait he had got, he baited his hook with the full
expectation of catching a basket-full. He cast in his line and stood
patiently watching his float. It would not bob. He altered the depth
of the hook several times; the worm wriggled, as at first, untouched.
He began to grow very impatient.

"This will never do," he muttered; "I must shift my ground till I find
the fish more inclined to be caught." He looked round towards Gregson,
who was pulling up fish as fast as he could. "His basket must be
already nearly full, and I have not caught even a wretched gudgeon."

On this Tom went round the pond, throwing in his line here and there
with the same want of success. At last he got a bite; "A big fish," he
thought to himself. "I'm sure it is; hurra! perhaps my one fish may
weigh as much as all Gregson's and Bracebridge's together." He hooked
his fish, which after one or two tugs, poked his nose to the surface
just to see who was at the other end of the line, which somehow or other
had got hold of his lips.

"A grand, magnificent pike!" shouted Tom with delight, letting go his
reel as the fish began to pull, and darted off into the centre of the
pond. Bouldon stood ready to turn him as soon as he began to slacken
his pace. Never had he felt so eager about catching a fish, for never
had he held a bigger one at the end of his line. It would have been
better for him had it been much smaller. There was a quantity of weeds
in the pond; and numerous large flat leaves of the beautiful white
water-lily floating near, moored to long tough stems, among which he was
in a dreadful fright that the fish would get, when he felt sur