shed the struggle which
resulted in our getting the eel into one of the nets, and then out on
the open rocks, and in a position to make it cease its writhings, Bob
Chowne backed out to look on and help us gloat over our capture, which
proved to be a plump young conger of a yard long.

"Well, that's something," said Bob. "Now I'm going after the prawns.
No, you go, Sep," he said. "I don't see why I should do all the work."

I went into the dripping grotto nothing loth, and by careful search
among the wet weed I found first one prawn and then another, till I had
thrown out six, the work being tolerably easy, for the little
horny-coated fellows made known their presence by their movements,
flipping their tails sharply and making a noise that betrayed their
hiding-places.

The grotto-like place, shut in by some rocks overshadowed by others, was
so gloomy that it was hard to make out everything, but twice over I
noted a bit of a rift on my left all fringed with sea-weed and slippery
with anemones, where it was not rough with limpets and barnacles.

"Was it down here, Bob, down on the left, that you found the conger?"

"No," he shouted, "on the right."

I looked round, and found the crack where the conger must have been, and
then came a summons from without.

"Well, can't you find any more?"

"No," I said; "but there's a big hole here. Perhaps there's another
conger."

"Put your hand in and pull him out, then," cried Bob with a sneer.

I did not answer, for I felt now very plainly how much easier it is to
give orders than to obey them. But a little consideration taught me
that there was nothing to fear, for if there was a conger in the hole
the chances were that he would have thrust his head into the farthest
corner, and that it would be his tail that I should touch.

"Now, then," cried Bob. "Ar'n't you going to find any more prawns?"

"I don't know," I said, as I carefully introduced my hand and arm, going
down on one knee so as to get closer, and so by degrees hand, arm, and
shoulder had nearly disappeared, as I touched the far end of the cleft.

"Nothing," I said to myself, as I felt about with my cheek touching the
wet slippery sea-weed. Then I uttered a loud "Ugh!" and started away.

"What's the matter?" cried my companions.

"I don't know," I cried. "Here's something alive in a hole here."

"Well, why don't you pull it out?" cried Bob.

"I--I don't know," I said. But I'm afraid I did know. Th