“Not in this freezing weather,” came from Joe. “But he’s a beauty and no mistake. Four inches longer than the other and at least half a pound heavier.”
“There are a great many kinds of pike, aren’t there?” asked Link.
“Yes, a great number,” answered old Runnell. “The big muskalonge, the pike-perch, the pickerel, the wall-eye or glass-eye pike, and the gray pike, and half a dozen other varieties. The pike-perch of the Great Lakes sometimes grows to three feet and weighs fifteen or eighteen pounds.”
The fishing was continued for over two hours longer and one more small pike was obtained. Then Fred tried his hook and line and very soon brought in several small fish.
“Now, we’ll have fish to last us for awhile,” said Joel Runnell. “What we don’t use at once we can let freeze in the ice.” And this was done by simply throwing the fish in a hollow and pouring clean water over them.
The party had used up a good share of their deer meat, but the best part of one of the halves still remained—or rather, had been left at the camp when they went fishing. But now, when they got back, strange to say, the deer meat was gone.
“Hullo, what does this mean?” cried Joe. “Have we had another visit from Dan Marcy and old Skeetles?”
“Somebody has taken the meat, that is certain,” put in Bart.
Joel made a careful examination. The meat had been left hanging on one of the pine trees.
“An animal took that meat,” said the old hunter. “And I am pretty certain I know what kind of a beast it was.”