“He has got it, and is going to take it to his hole,” whispered Mercer. “But he don’t go here to-night. He’s going into the frying-pan, I think. Hah! Got him!”
For he now struck sharply, and the rod bent tremendously. There was no steady, motionless pull here, but a fierce shaking of the head and a hard, vibratory tugging at the line.
“Bigger than yours,” he cried. “A thumper! My, how he pulls! Ah, would you? No, you don’t, my fine fellow. He wants to get to the bank, I suppose, but he’s coming out here into deep water, where there’s nothing to twist about, and he’s not going ashore till I go first.”
Just then the eel made a rush first in one direction, then in another, but with a heavy pressure kept up, and the rod bending nearly double. Then it made a rush for the shore, and Mercer raised the point of his rod and stepped back, while I uttered a cry, for the rod had struck me sharply on the ear.
But it was not at the blow, but at the tremendous splash, for, forgetful in his excitement of where he stood, Mercer’s step was off the narrow penstock right into the deep water, and as I clung to the post with one hand, I was looking down into the huge bubbling ring he had made, to see first the rod come up, then Mercer’s hand, and then his face, close to his floating cap, but quite a dozen feet away from where I stood.
I was too much startled to move for a few moments, while Mercer beat the water with his hands frantically for a bit, and then went under again, but rose and called to me hoarsely,—
“Help!”
“Swim!” I shouted. “Swim!” But he only gazed at me wildly, and I saw him go down again.
For an instant or two I stood as if turned to stone, then a thought struck me, and I ran along the woodwork to where I had left my rod, and, without thinking of the danger and the narrowness of the path, I ran back again in time to see Mercer rise again, beating the water frantically.
“Here, quick!” I shouted. “Catch hold;” and I held out the thin bamboo pole to him, but it did not reach within a couple of yards of where he was beating the water.