“Knock, knock; rap, rap, rap,” came the summons at the gate again; and this time, instead of muttering and “grumbling” to himself, Dusty Bob got up and went to see who was there.
“Sarvant, sir,” said Bob, as he saw who it was, and then burst out into a grin; for behind Squire Inglis stood his visitors of a few days before, and Bob was luxuriating in the recollection of how he had restored the lost basket of fish.
“Well, Bob,” said Mr Inglis, entering the mill, followed by the three boys, each armed with a fishing-rod and basket, big enough apparently to hold a great many more fish than they would catch that afternoon; “Well, Bob,” said Mr Inglis, “how are you off for fish?”
“Heaps on ’em, sir, down below in the pool; but I’m ’feard they weant feed, for it’s rather a bad time. Thou’d best fish off the right bank just over the stream from number one wheel. There be plenty o’ fishing, for this mornin’, only, when the mill was stopped for half-an-hour, the great fat chub lay a-top of the water as long as your arm ammost; but I’m most ’feard that the roach weant look at a bait.”
Bob then led the way through the mill, and the fishing-party soon stood on the long, narrow, tree-o’ershadowed strip of land that separated the mill tail from the waste-water; and here, where the stream ran swiftly and deeply, did the party prepare to secure some of the finny treasures.
Rods were quickly put together; lines securely fixed; and best new gut hooks added. Then the depth was plumbed; the floats adjusted and shotted to the correct “cock;” and then hooks baited, and ground-bait of bran and clay and rice thrown upon the mill apron, to dissolve slowly and spread all over the pool. Lastly, lines are thrown in, and silence proclaimed, so that the first nibbles might be duly attended to.
In every place where there are fish one is sure to hear of a mighty jack that lies out in some particular part, and is occasionally seen in the early morning, or basking in the mid-day sun, looking almost as big as a man,—in fact, so big that nobody could catch him, one that ever so many fishermen had had hold of, but which always broke away and escaped; and somehow or other, although this mighty fellow must have swallowed and got stuck in his mouth and gills enough hooks, and trailing away from him enough line, to stock a small shop, yet, leave alone being caught, he never even dies, and floats wrong way up on the top of the water. Well, this was the case here: Bob had seen a pike so big that no mortal rod and line could ever bear it; he could tell of somewhere about ten or a dozen fishermen who had once had hold of him, so that Mr Jack must have thought no more of the sharpest barbed hooks than he would of so many quill toothpicks.
“Lord, sir,” said Bob, “whoy doan’t thee trowl for the big jack? I see him this morning ligging a-top of the waiter like a big log o’ wood.”
“Indeed, Bob; well, I’ll try for a few chub first, and then, if unsuccessful, see what I can do in the pike way.”
So Mr Inglis fished very patiently and quietly for some time, and tried two or three different kinds of bait to tempt the chubby fellows; but they would not be tempted, until at last a small gudgeon was placed on the hook, one which Fred had caught, being the first fish taken that afternoon, for Bob had turned out a very respectable prophet, and the boys were having very poor sport indeed.