ll have him directly, I
believe."

There was a broad laugh as Ellis put the net under the fish--for fish
there undoubtedly was. "Why, Tommy, your big pike has turned into a
perch after all," cried Ernest; "a good-sized one though. But how did
you come to fancy it a pike?"

"Because he pulled so horribly; and when I saw his big jaws above water,
I thought nothing but a pike could possess such a pair of gills,"
answered Tom, with much simplicity.

Ernest and Ellis laughed heartily at Bouldon's pike. Ellis took off his
clothes, and wrung them dry, and assisted Tom, who was getting rapidly
well, to do the same; and while Ernest put on some of his garments, he
lent the remainder to clothe his companions, while theirs were drying.
They very quickly got their fishing gear to rights again, and were soon,
as eager as before, engaged in their sport.

The disturbance they had made in the water had not frightened away the
fish, and they each of them caught several large perch. When they at
last got their clothes dry enough to put on, and worked their way up to
where Gregson was fishing, they found that he had actually filled his
basket completely full; fulfilling his promise that with his old stick,
as he called it, he would catch more fish than all the rest put
together. He bought his hooks, though he could make them; but the rod,
line, and float he had entirely manufactured himself, as he had all the
rest of the gear, and thus he certainly had reason to be proud of his
achievements.

He was horrified when he heard how nearly two of his companions had lost
their lives, while all the time he had been so close at hand. When,
however, they were joined by Lemon and Buttar, and Bouldon described the
way Ellis had come to his rescue, everybody was loud in their praises of
him except Ernest. He said nothing at the time, but as they were
walking home, he took Ellis's hand, and pressing it warmly, remarked,
"You have behaved very gallantly to-day, my dear fellow. I was certain
that when the opportunity offered, you would do so. No one could have
done better, or shown more coolness or courage. Had it not been for
you, Bouldon would have lost his life; of that I am certain. He was
almost gone when I came up."

"Why, Bracebridge, I considered that you saved both our lives,"
exclaimed Ellis, in a tone of surprise at hearing himself so praised.
"Had you not come up, we should both have been lost."

"Oh! I only used a little