"Did he bite?" said Jack, urging the log onwards a little with his
paddle.

"Bite? ay! He took it into his mouth, but the moment I began to
haul he opened his jaws and let it out again."

"Let him swallow it next time," said Jack, laughing at the
melancholy expression of Peterkin's visage.

"There he's again," cried Peterkin, his eyes flashing with
excitement. "Look out! Now then! No! Yes! No! Why, the brute
WON'T swallow it!"

"Try to haul him up by the mouth, then," cried Jack. "Do it
gently."

A heavy sigh and a look of blank despair showed that poor Peterkin
had tried and failed again.

"Never mind, lad," said Jack, in a voice of sympathy; "we'll move
on, and offer it to some other fish." So saying, Jack plied his
paddle; but scarcely had he moved from the spot, when a fish with
an enormous head and a little body darted from under a rock and
swallowed the bait at once.

"Got him this time, - that's a fact!" cried Peterkin, hauling in
the line. "He's swallowed the bait right down to his tail, I
declare. Oh what a thumper!"

As the fish came struggling to the surface, we leaned forward to