“That’s what I’m feared on, Master Nic, but it’s ’bout the liveliest tree I ever felt. Look where the line’s going. I’m feared it’s gone.”
The line was cutting the water and gliding through Pete’s fingers till he checked it at the end, when a black tail rose above the surface and fell with a splash, and the line slackened and was hauled in.
“Hook aren’t gone, zir,” said Pete as he drew it over the side. “Rum vishing that there. Why, it were one o’ them ’gators, five or six foot long. Let’s try lower down.”
They tried as Pete suggested, and there was another boil in the water, but the hook was drawn in without a touch; and Pete tried again and again, till he felt the glistening iron seized by something which held on fast.
“Got him this time, zir,” said Pete, with his face lighting up. “It’s a vish now. One o’ they pike things, and not zo very big.”
“Haul in quick,” cried Nic.
It was an unnecessary order, for the line was rapidly drawn close inboard, and Pete lowered one hand to take a short grip and swing his captive out of the water. But he put too much vigour into the effort, and flung his prize right over just as it shook itself clear of the hook, and fell upon the gunwale before glancing off back into the water. No fish, but an alligator about thirty inches long.
“Ugh!” ejaculated Pete; “and I thought I’d got a vish. Never mind, Master Nic. We’ll have zomething good yet.”
His companion did not feel hopeful. It was evident that the water swarmed with the reptiles, and in spite of the terribly faint sensation of hunger that was increasing fast, Nic felt disposed to tell his companion to give up trying, when suddenly there was a fierce rush after the glistening hook as it was being dragged through the water, a sudden check, and the water boiled again as Pete hauled in the line, sea fishing fashion, to get his captive into the boat before it could struggle free from the clumsy hook.
This time success attended Pete’s efforts. He got hold of the line close to the iron, and with a vigorous swing threw his prize into the boat just as the hook came away, leaving the fish to begin leaping about, till Nic stunned it with a heavy blow from the boat-hook pole.