was a sharp crack,
and Josh went backwards with his heels in the air.

"Look at that," he said sourly. "That comes o' having bad thole-pins;"
and he began to knock out the remains of the pin that formed the rowlock
and which had broken short off.

This brought the boat nearly to a standstill, and consequently down went
the lead to the bottom; but only to be dragged up again, Dick hauling
away excitedly as he felt a good tug, tug at his bait.

"I've got him again!" he cried.

"Then you can catch fish with such tackle as ours!" said Will, who
looked on highly amused at his friend's excitement.

"Oh, yes!" said Dick. "You see I didn't know. Why, what's this? Look
at him how he's going. Here, I've seen these chaps in the fishmongers'
in London too. I know: it's a gurnard."

"Gunnet," said Josh correctively.

"Why, you might catch these with a great meat hook," cried Dick. "Oho!
what a mouth!"

"Look sharp and put in again, and you may get a red one: this is a
grey," said Will. "Some of the red ones are beauties, and you'll hear
them grunt when you take them out of the water."

"Go along," cried Dick laughing. "None of your nonsense!"

"A mussy me!" muttered Josh to himself as he knocked in a fresh
thole-pin; "what a gashly little these Londoners do know!"

"They do make a grunting noise really," said Will; "just when you pull
them out of the water. You'll see."

The hook was already speeding towards the bottom, but no grunting red
gurnard took the bait, the boat being once more going easily along; and
for the next quarter of an hour Dick did not get a bite; but at last, as
they were rowing along by a rugged part of the coast where the waves
foamed and roared among the rocks, tossing the olive-brown sea-weed up
and dragging it back, Will bade him look out.

"You'll get a pollack along here perhaps."

For another five minutes, though, there was no sign, and Dick suggested
that the bait must be gone.

"Pull it in and see," said Josh.

The lad began to haul, but at the second pull there was a tremendous
snatch, the line was dragged from his fingers, and began to run rapidly
over the stern.

"Look out!" cried Will.

"I've got him!" cried Dick, snatching at the line again, and holding on
though it threatened to cut into his soft white hands. "My! don't he
pull! Oh! this is a monster."

"Pull! haul at him! get his nose this way!" roared Josh; and Dick
pulled, with the fish darting to right and