Up in his room he had a good pole, lines, hooks and all things needful. It was the work of only a few minutes to dig some worms in the garden, catch a grasshopper or two and start for the creek which flowed about half a mile from the house.
“Bring home enough for supper,” called his mother after her boy, as Tommy strolled off, with his pole over his shoulder. “Catch some nice big ones, Tommy, but don’t fall in!”
“I won’t,” he promised, and then he hurried on, whistling a merry tune, and wondering whether his nine would win the baseball game that was to be played the following day.
“I wonder if the fellows in Millton have a nine yet,” he said to himself. “I must write a card to some of the boys, tell them about our nine, and see if they can play us. I think that would be fun.”
CHAPTER XI
TOMMY IS IN DANGER
“Oh, that’s a dandy!” exclaimed Tommy. “A regular dandy! A few more like that, and I’ll have enough for supper!”
He had pulled up his line, after having fished for about an hour, and, dangling from the hook, was a fine, fat chub, a very delicious white fish.
“No, you don’t!” exclaimed the lad as the fish dropped off the hook to the grass and tried to flop toward the water. “I can’t lose you that way!” And he made a grab for his prize. “You’re the biggest one yet. Wait a minute and I’ll have you in the water again, but you can’t swim away. Sorry, but it’s got to be,” and he passed a string through the gills of the fish, and then, fastening one end of the cord to a stone, Tommy let the big fish and a few other smaller ones he had previously caught swim about in a little pool.
Tommy once more baited his hook and tossed it into the water. But the catching of the big chub must have frightened the others, for there were no more bites for some time.
“Guess this hole is fished out,” remarked Tommy. “I’m going to try the lower one. If I get one more big fellow, I’ll quit.”