“Wake up! Yeou’ve got a bite! Yank him in!”
Carl awoke and gave a mighty yank with the rod, which, fortunately, did not break beneath the strain. Out of the water sprang the old root, seeming to writhe and squirm in a most lifelike manner. Straight at the angler the thing came, striking him in the face and whipping its cold, clammy folds around his neck.
CHAPTER X.
AN EXPERIMENT WITH FLAPJACKS.
A wild yell of terror burst from the lips of the horrified Dutch boy, who flung himself backward upon the flat rock, kicking, flopping and clawing at the slippery, clinging root.
“Eels!” he yelled chokingly. “Hellup! Took him off quervick! Safe me, pefore I vas dead already!”
The spectators were convulsed with laughter, and Springer, clinging to his sides, collapsed upon the ground.
“Oh! oh!” gasped Phil. “Did you ever see anything so funny? It will kill me!”
“It vill kill me uf you don’t took him avay!” screamed Carl, tearing frantically at the entwined root, his eyes seeming ready to pop from his head. “An eel hass got me! Hellup!”
Even Stone was shaken by laughter.