part, he produced a long line, which when doubled was of
sufficient strength to bear a pretty strong pull. By the time I had
prepared my hook, greatly to my satisfaction, his line was ready. It
was not so long as we should have liked, but still long enough to allow
the bait to sink sufficiently below the surface to attract the unwary
fish. Tim, in the meantime, had been cleaning our guns, the locks of
which, not having been covered up, had prevented their use at the moment
they were so much required. We reloaded them, and put in fresh priming.

Uncle Paul having noticed what we were about,--"That is right," he
observed. "We are bound to make every effort to preserve our lives.
While we put full trust in God, He will favour our efforts."

The wind was again dropping, and the time, we thought, was favourable to
commence fishing. We had to sacrifice a small piece of manatee flesh,
but we trusted that it would give us a satisfactory return. So, having
baited our hook, and put some lead on the line, we dropped it into the
water, letting it tow astern. Never did fisherman hold a line with more
anxious wish for success than did Arthur. He had not long to wait.

"I have a bite!" he exclaimed in a tone of eagerness. "Hurrah! it's
hooked!"

Carefully he drew in the line, while Tim and I leaned over the side, to
lift up the expected prize, for fear that it might break away at the
last moment. It was a fish nearly two feet long; and it fortunately
struggled but little, or I believe that it would have carried away the
hook. How eagerly we clutched it!--literally digging our fingers into
its flesh--and then with a jerk brought it safely aboard. We none of us
knew its name; but as it was of the ordinary fishlike shape, we hoped
that it would prove to be of a species fit for human food.

"I wish we had a kitchen-fire at which to cook it," cried Marian.

"We must manage to do without that," observed Uncle Paul; "and we shall
not be the first folks who have been thankful to obtain raw fish for
dinner."

It is my belief that that fish saved our lives. Even Marian managed to
eat a small portion, which was beaten up fine to enable her to swallow
it. Strange to say, it was the only one we caught, though we had the
line out for several hours afterwards. We were afraid of allowing it to
remain unless one of us held it, lest some large fish, catching hold of
it, should carry away the hook. We therefore hauled it in at nig