"Oh dear! I haven't a bite!" she sighed, for her bell was not jingling.
"But I have!" cried Hal, pulling his line in. "A big one, too!"
"I'll help you," said Daddy Blake, as he skated up to his little son, and when Daddy had felt of the tugging line he remarked:
"Yes, that is a large fish! Up he comes!" And he pulled up Hal's fish.
Just as the big, flopping pickerel was hauled out on the ice, Mab cried:
"My bell is tinkling! My bell is tinkling! I've got a fish, too!" And indeed her piece of wire was moving to and fro where it was stuck up in the ice, and the bell was jingling merrily.
"Wait, Mab, I'll help you!" called Daddy Blake, and, leaving Hal to take care of his own fish, the children's papa went to pull in Mab's catch.
Her fish was not quite as large as was Hal's, but it was a very nice one. Then Mr. Blake called out:
"Oh ho! Now there's a bite on my line!"
His bell jingled quite loudly, and when the string was pulled up through the hole there was a fine, large pickerel on the hook. The fish were placed in a basket to be taken home, after having been mercifully put out of pain by a blow on the head. Then the hooks were baited again.