"Don't care, you're just as silly as me. My papa says if people don't
keep quiet, they'll scare all the fish away. You're laughing awful
loud."

He immediately sobered down. "True for you, Beth. It is silly to
laugh and you're a wise girl. You'll make a good fisher. Here, I'll
put the bait on for you."

He baited her line and threw it out into deep water for her.

She waited patiently for the fish to bite, but it seemed as if her
patience was to go unrewarded. She wished for Harvey's good opinion,
and so she did not even speak. It proved pretty dull work and to make
matters worse, Harvey pulled in a number of fish, while she did not get
even a nibble.

She would have given up in despair had not her pride prevented. Harvey
felt sorry for her and proved himself magnanimous.

"Beth, the fish are biting lively here. You take my place--yes, you
must, and I'll go around on the other side."

Matters did not mend for Beth even with the change. The fish seemed to
follow the boy. He caught several on the other side of the wharf,
while the patient little fisher maiden waited in vain for the fish to
take pity on her.

Presently, she almost feel asleep, fishing proved so uninteresting.
Then there was a terrible jerk on her line, followed by a steady pull.
Beth was afraid the alligator had swallowed the line, and that she