uld not even smell the
gudgeon. At last, however, Mr Inglis made a cast, and the little
bait-fish fell lightly just beneath a bush close under the bank; when
there was a rush through the water, and a swirling that took everybody's
attention, and then, as Mr Inglis swiftly drew out the line from off
his reel, away it glided through the rings of the rod, yard after yard--
yard after yard--swifter and swifter--as though the fish that had taken
the gudgeon meant to run the line all out; and sure enough it did the
whole fifty yards; and Mr Inglis was reaching out his rod as far as he
could stretch his hand, so as to avoid checking the fish, if possible,
and so losing it, when the line suddenly grew slack. There all eyes
were strained towards the spot where the large tell-tale cork-float
slowly rose to the surface, and its white top could be seen stationary
right on the far side of the mill-pool. What little slack line there
was, Mr Inglis now wound in, and telling Harry to be ready with the
landing-net, he waited patiently for a few minutes to give the fish time
to gorge his prey, though, from the way in which the float had run to
the surface, he was afraid that the fish had left his bait. At last,
Mr Inglis gathered the line up in his hand, and gave a sharp twist of
his wrist, and all eyes were bent upon the spot to witness the struggle;
but alas! there was no resistance. The great float glided easily over
the water, and then Mr Inglis began to wind in, for it was evident that
the pike had merely taken the bait because he could not bear to see it
pass him--not because he was hungry--and then, after playing with it,
let it go again.

"Never mind, boys," said the Squire, "better success next time."

The words, however, were hardly out of his mouth, when there was a
tremendous swirl and rush again in the water; and away with a bob--bob--
bob--went the float, then under water, and out of sight once more.

There was another pause of five minutes, and then again Mr Inglis drew
in what slack line there was very carefully, waited another minute,
when, the float again rose to the surface, but only to move off in
another direction, for it was evident that the pike had this time well
taken the bait.

And now followed moments of interest, as the Squire struck the fish, and
then gave him line, for with one flick of his great tail he went across
the pool in a fresh direction, luckily making a great deal of slack line
as he did s