“Oh, Joel, I can,” burst out Davie, leaping to his feet. “I can, Joel—and I will put on a worm,” but he shivered.
“You needn’t,” said Joel, turning back to the root-tangle; “I’ll put ’em all on for you,—I like to.”
“I’ve got one!” screamed Ezekiel.
Sure enough! There was the minister’s son having the greatest difficulty in his excitement to keep his footing on the big stone, swinging his line, at the end of which was a little speckled trout shining in the sunshine.
CHAPTER XVIII
DANGER
JOEL threw down the fish-pole, root-tangle, and all, and rushed wildly over to Ezekiel on the big stone. “Let me see him—let me!” he cried.
“I shall take it home for my father,” said Ezekiel in proud possession, holding up the little speckled beauty dangling from the hook, as he hurried over the stepping-stones.
“And I shall catch one and take it home to my mother,” announced Peletiah, where he sat by the side of the brook. He hadn’t even chosen his worm, but was taking one after another from the tin can, and laying them down on the grass.
“They’re all running away,” cried Joel, flying up with his own fish-pole and David’s, the root-tangle still hanging. “Oh, they’re all running away, Peletiah Henderson.”
“They can’t run,” said Peletiah, still busy trying to decide which worm would be most likely to entice a nice fish, “because they haven’t got legs.”