FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116  
117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>   >|  
e in feebly enough, till the fish made a fresh dash for liberty. "Oh!" cried Arthur; "it's cutting my hands horribly. There--he's gone!" Not quite, for Dick made a dash at the flying line, which was rushing over the gunwale, caught it in time, and began a steady pull at it till the fish was more exhausted, and he could turn its head, when he pulled the line in rapidly, and the boys could soon after see the bright silvery fish darting here and there. "Got a gaff, Will?" shouted Dick. "There's the old one stuck in the side, sir," replied the lad; and, holding on with one hand, Dick reached the gaff-hook with the other; but though he got his fish close up to the stern two or three times, he found that he was not experienced fisherman enough to hold the line with his left hand and gaff it with the other. "Here!" he cried at last, for Arthur was looking on helplessly. "You catch hold of the line while I gaff him!" Arthur obeyed with a grimace indicative of disgust as he felt the wet and slippery line; and, in obedience to his brother's orders, he dragged the fish close in; but just as Dick made a lunge at it with the big hook it darted off again, cutting Arthur's hands horribly. The next time it was dragged in Dick was successful, getting his hook in its gills, and hoisting it on board, flapping and bounding about as if filled with so much steel spring. "Hallo! you've got one then, Dick!" cried his father, turning round; Josh and Will having been quietly observant the while. "Yes, father!" cried Dick in the most disinterested way; "Arthur held him and I gaffed him. Isn't it a beauty? What is it, Josh--a silver pollack?" "A-mussy me, no!" cried Josh, who had ceased rowing. "That be no pollack; that be a bass. Dessay there be a shoal out there." "Mind his back tin, Master Dick!" cried Will excitedly, as he saw Dick take hold of his prize. "Yes, I'll mind," said Dick. "Here, never mind, it being wet," he went on; "catch hold of him with both hands, Arthur, I'll get out the hook." "Oh--oh--oh!" shouted Arthur, snatching back his hands. "It pricks!" "What pricks?" cried Dick, seizing the fish and throwing it down again sharply. "Oh, I say, it's like a knife." "Shall I take it off, sir?" said Will. "No, I'm not going to be beaten!" cried Dick, whose hand was bleeding. "I didn't know what you meant. Why, it's a big stickleback!" He took hold of the prize more cautiously, disengaged the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116  
117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Arthur

 

dragged

 

shouted

 
pollack
 
father
 

cutting

 

horribly

 

pricks

 
stickleback
 

beauty


silver
 

cautiously

 

disengaged

 

disinterested

 

observant

 

quietly

 

turning

 

gaffed

 
beaten
 

sharply


throwing

 

excitedly

 

Master

 

seizing

 

snatching

 

ceased

 

rowing

 

bleeding

 

Dessay

 

disgust


bright

 

silvery

 
darting
 

pulled

 

rapidly

 

holding

 

reached

 
replied
 
flying
 

liberty


feebly

 
rushing
 

exhausted

 

steady

 
gunwale
 
caught
 

successful

 

darted

 

orders

 

hoisting