“Here we are,” replied Dan, as he rowed under the shadows of the high shore. “Now you’ll have to show that you are a fisherman, Walter, or we sha’n’t have any fish for dinner. Here, let me change your tackle,” he added. In a brief time the change was made, and as Walter dropped his line into the water, Dan said: “I’ll take this other pole and try my luck. When we get a half-dozen perch that will be enough and we’ll go ashore. There’s a stone fireplace up there among those cedars which we can use.”
“There was one last summer. Is this the same one?”
“I guess so; it hasn’t been disturbed. Now we’ll see which will get the first perch,” he added, as he dropped a line into the water on the opposite side of the boat.
The question was speedily settled, for in a brief time Dan landed two perch in quick succession.
“I don’t see how you do it!” exclaimed Walter.
“Then I’m afraid I can’t tell you,” said Dan good-naturedly, making his perch captive in the end of the boat.
“It’s just born in some people—hello! There! I’ve got a bite!” Walter’s attention was quickly centered upon the fish he had hooked and a few minutes later, after he had succeeded in landing his prey, he exclaimed: “Mine is the biggest one yet! You can count yours if you want to. I’ll just weigh mine.”
“All right. You might weigh this fellow too while you are in the business,” said Dan quietly, as he secured a perch much larger than his companion’s. “Two more will give us all we want.”
The two additional perch were speedily secured, Dan catching both of them, and then the skiff was sent ashore and the boys leaped out and drew the little boat far up on the sandy beach.