o. The battle now began in real earnest, for every time the
pike felt the line tightened away he darted, first in one direction, and
then in another, while once he came close in to where his tormentor was
standing, so that a great deal of the running line was wound in; but,
the moment after, he started off with a swifter rush than ever right
across the pool, making the line sing and the winch spin furiously, as
the thin cord ran through the rings as it was reeled off. Mr Inglis
had to slightly check the line so as to retard his progress, or else
most probably the cord would have been snapped; but no sooner did the
fish find that he was held than he made a leap of fully a yard right out
of the water, displaying to the lookers-on his great gold and green
sides, and looking, in the momentary glance that was afforded, almost a
yard long.

In he dashed again, full of fury, and round and round, and backwards and
forwards, he was played; at one time sweeping right up to the mill
wheels, and nearly getting the line entangled in the piles; then making
a mighty spurt to gain the river where the weeds grew so thickly; but he
got no farther than the sandy bar at the mouth of the pool, where he had
to turn on one side to swim in the shallows, for here he was checked
again, and brought back almost unresisting into the deep water, his
master's rod bending like a cart-whip as the fish was dragged back. And
so for nearly half an hour did the battle continue, the fish being
gently brought back after every dash he made, for Mr Inglis dared not
attempt to land the monster till he was thoroughly exhausted; and well
was it that the line was one of the newest and strongest, or the slight
silk cord would never have borne the strain that was put upon it... But
it held good, and now the exhausted fish seemed to make its last effort
to escape; and it was very nearly a successful one, for, after darting
about ten yards almost to the bottom of the pool, Mr Inglis found that
there was some extra resistance, and that the line was entangled.

Had this happened earlier in the struggle, the pike must have been lost,
for the line would have snapped; but now the fish had fought out his
fight, and scarcely attempted to move, while Dusty Bob, who had been
watching the proceedings with the most intense interest, went to the
mill-yard and fetched the great rake he used to clear the weeds away
with, and by means of a little raking he got hold of the obstru