"This looks promising," said the doctor; "but my word, how hot the boat is. I touched that copper rowlock, and it quite burned my band."
"I could hardly bear mine on the side," said Jack; "but let's begin."
"Yes, we must have a few of these fellows, Jack. I wish we had rods, we could throw so much better."
"I don't think you will need them," said the mate, as he finished attaching a spoon-bait to Jack's line; "the current will carry the bait right through the shoal."
"Yes, but fair play, Jack. I'm not ready, let's start together."
But he was too late. Jack dropped his bait over the side as the doctor spoke, and away it glided, sinking slowly and turning and twinkling in the sunlit water, while when, in obedience to the mate's instructions, Jack checked the line as it ran over the side, and drew it a few feet back, the resemblance to a fish was strangely apparent.
"There you are," cried the doctor, as, after laying a quantity of line in rings beside him, he threw his own bait so cleverly that it fell with a light splash nearly on a level with his companion's.
"Now then; a race for the first fish!" he cried, and they let out a good fifty yards of line, with the result that, while, by Lenny giving a gentle stroke or two with the oars, the boat was kept pretty well in its place, the artificial baits were carried by the current right into the middle of the shoal of fish playing about on the surface.
"Now for it," said the doctor, who looked as excited as the boy. "We must have one directly."
"If they will take the artificial bait," said the mate. "Keep jerking your line, Mr Jack."
"That way?"
"Yes; capital. Fish like to take a bait that seems to be trying to escape from them."
"Then why don't they do it?" said the doctor impatiently.
"Give them time," said the mate, smiling.
"Time and line too, but they don't seem to notice the bait."
"They notice mine," said Jack. "Look here."
He gave a snatch with his line, Edward sitting ready to unhook the fish, and as he drew the bait along toward him, there was a rush made while it passed, but whether in pursuit or to escape from the novel object the occupants of the boat could not make out for some time. At last, though, the mate came to the conclusion that the spoon-bait scared the shoal.
"That shows what a set of ignorant savages they are, Jack," cried the doctor; "never saw a spoon-bait before in their lives, and don't know it's meant to catch them. But never mind, we shall have one directly, and then the others will know better."
"And go right away," said Jack dryly, as he kept on taking advantage of the mate's instructions, and making his bait play about in the bright water in a way which ought to have tempted a run, but without effect.
"Let's try another kind," said the mate, and the line being drawn in, an artificial sand-eel was fastened by the stout twisted wire hook to the swivel on the line.
"I'll wait and see what luck you have, Jack, before I change mine," said the doctor.
"I don't think I shall have any," replied the lad.
"The fish may be stupid and ignorant, but I don't think they will be so stupid as to try and bite at the absurd thing I have on now."
"There's no accounting for what fish will do," said the mate, smiling.
"That's right; let it go. I've caught mackerel often enough on the Cornish coast with a hook at the end of a piece of gut run through a broken scrap of clay tobacco-pipe."
"Yes, mackerel are splendid fellows to bite. I've caught them myself with a soft white goose feather tied on to a hook, and thrown as if it were a fly, and--"
"Oh!" cried Jack, with a cry of excitement, "I've got one," and Edward half rose in his excitement from his seat.
For as he let the line run gently through his fingers from where it lay in rings at the bottom of the boat, it was suddenly snatched away and began to run rapidly.
"Stop it! Catch hold quickly," cried the mate; and Jack seized the line again and held on.
"I've got it!" he cried, as he felt thrill after thrill run up his arms in the fish's struggles to escape.
"Haul him in, Jack," said the doctor. "Bravo! first one to you. We shall begin to take some now."
"It won't come," cried Jack, as he held on by the line, with the fish evidently diving down into deep water in its frantic efforts to escape.
"Pull, lad!"
"But it's a monster, and the line cuts my hand. No, no, not you," he cried to his man.
"Let me try," said the mate.
"No, no, I mean to catch it myself," said Jack excitedly. "Ah, don't touch it."
"Only to see what it's like," said the mate, reaching over so as to take hold of the line.
"Not a very large one," he said, "two or three pounds perhaps. There, I think you can haul that in; I'll lift it into the boat with the gaff."
"Oh, don't touch it with that," cried Jack quickly; "it's all snaky, and we shall want to eat the fish."
"I'll give it a good wash in the water," said the mate, smiling.
"No; let me lift it in when I get it to the side," said Jack excitedly.
"Yes, it's coming now."
"But if you try to lift it in, the hook will drag out of the fish's jaws," said the mate.
"Yes; let him lift it in, Jack," said the doctor. "Don't let it get away, or it will go and tell all the other fish not to bite."
"Of course," said Jack dryly, "and give a full description of me and my line."
"I shall have to try a fresh bait," said the doctor, beginning to draw in.
"I caught a glimpse of him," said Jack, as he hauled slowly on his line.
"How strong a fish is in the water!--Ah!--Oh, I say, Mr Bartlett, how can you say it is not a big one!" cried the lad, as there was a tremendous jerk given at the line, and then a series of sharp tugs, followed by a steady drag which made the line begin to run through the fisher's hands again.
"It cuts! it hurts! I can't hold it!" cried Jack excitedly, and he was about to let go, when Edward caught hold, and then the mate's firm strong hands reached over and took hold of the line beyond his and began to haul.
But at the first drag he made at the line, the fish gave a peculiar wallow, which felt as if it had spun itself round in the water, and began in spite of the mate's efforts to move off, the line gliding through his fingers, till by a sudden action he twisted the slack round his hand and held on.
"Now isn't it a big one?" cried Jack. "Look here, doctor."
"I'm looking. Why, Jack, you've got hold of that snake's grandfather.