|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 59
"Here!" said Yorke suddenly. "I'm getting fed up with this! I can't get
a touch. There's a big hole farther down, just up above Gully's place.
Let's try it! He and I pulled some good 'uns out of there, last year."
Eventually they reached their objective. At this point the force of the
current had gradually, with the years, scooped out a large, semicircular
portion of the shelving bank. Also, a spit of gravel-bar, jutting far
out into the water, had stranded a small boom of logs and drift-wood; the
whole constituting a veritable breakwater that only a charge of dynamite
could have shifted. In the shelter of this and the hollowed-out bank, a
huge, slow eddy of water had formed, apparently of great depth.
As Yorke had advertised it--it did look like a likely kind of a hole for
big trout. "You wouldn't think it," said he now, "but there's twenty
feet of water in that pot hole." He put down his rod and slowly began to
fill his pipe. "You can have first shot at it, Red," he remarked, "I'll
be the unselfish big brother. You ought to land a good 'un out of there.
Aha! what'd I tell you?"
Redmond's gut "leader" had barely sunk below the surface when he felt the
thrilling, jarring strike of an unmistakably heavy fish. The tried,
splendid "green-heart" rod he was using described a pulsating arc under
the strain. He turned to Yorke gleefully. "By gum! old thing, I've sure
got one this time," he said, "bet you he's ten pound if he's an ounce.
Hope the line'll hold!"
Simultaneously they uttered an excited exclamation, as a huge, silvery
body darted to the surface, threshed the water for the fraction of a
second, and then dived.
"Look out!" cried Yorke. "Give him line, Red, give him line! Play him
careful now, or you'll lose him!"
The reel screeched, as Redmond let the fish run. Then--without
warning--the line slacked and the rod straightened. George, giving vent
to a dismayed oath, reeled in until the line tautened again, and the
point of the rod dipped.
"What's up?" queried Yorke, "he's still on, isn't he?"
"Yes," growled Redmond miserably, "feels as if I'm snagged though. He's
there right enough--I can feel him jumping. Damnation! That's the worst
of stringing three hooks on your leader. One of 'em's snagged on
something below, I guess. Here! hold the rod a minute, Yorkey!"
The latter complied. George unbuttoned and threw off his stable-jacket
and began taking off his boots. Yorke contemplated his comrade's actions
in speechless amazement. "Why, what the devil?--" he began--
"I'm not going to lose that fish," mumbled Redmond sulkily, as he threw
off his clothes, "I'll get him by gum! if I have to dive to the depths of
Hell."
"Say, now! don't be a fool!" cried Yorke, "that water's like ice, man!
You'll get cramped, and then the two of us'll drown. We-ll, of all the
idiots!--"
George, by this time stripped to the buff, crept gingerly to the edge of
the shelving bank. In his right hand he grasped--opened--a small
pen-knife. "Aw, quit it!" he retorted rudely, "I'll only be under a
minute--hold the line taut--straight up and down, Yorkey, so's I can see
where to dive."
He drew a deep breath, and then, with the poise of a practised swimmer,
dived--cutting the water with barely a splash. For the space of a
half-minute Yorke stared apprehensively at the swirling eddy, beneath
which the other had vanished. The line still remained taut. Then he
gave a gasp of relief, as Redmond's head re-appeared, and that young
gentleman swam to the side. Extending a hand, the senior constable
lugged his comrade to terra firma.
"That's good!" he ejaculated fervently. "D----n the fish, anyway! I
guess you couldn't make--" He broke off abruptly, and remained staring
at the dripping George with startled eyes. The latter's face registered
unutterable horror, and he shook as with the ague. Speech seemed beyond
him. He could only mouth and point back to the gloomy depths whence he
had just emerged.
"Here!" cried Yorke, with an oath, "whatever is the matter, Reddy? Man!
you look as if you'd seen a ghost!"
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|