“We can drop down if you think best,” Clay proposed.
“Just you wait a minute!” Alex exclaimed all excitement, “I’ve got a bite right now. Two bites!” he yelled the next moment. “Both lines are running out! Catch one, quick!”
The boy’s announcement that the lines were moving out brought his three chums instantly to the front. Case and Jule both grabbed for the same line, with the result that the tops of their heads came together with a thud and the line continued to wiggle along the deck. Clay stepped on the moving line and Alex seized it.
The boy now held a line in each hand and was drawn tightly against the after gunwale.
“Hold on, Alex, hold on!” shouted Case.
“Pull ’em in, pull ’em in!” yelled Jule.
“You bet I’ll hold on!” panted Alex. “Why don’t you boys catch on to the line?”
The boy sprang for the lines again, but their fingers met only the bare deck. Alex, hanging on like grim death, stood for a moment with his feet braced against the gunwale and then went head-first into the river.
“Great spoons!” Jule exclaimed. “Talk about catfish! I’ll bet he’s got a team of wild colts at the end of those lines!”
Alex, hanging to the lines, went bobbing down the stream.