fish close to
another; for Master Hal, directly a fish was caught on either side
immediately concluded that where the fish was caught would be a better
place for him, and accordingly began to trespass.

All at once, just as Philip had hooked a perch and was drawing it to
shore, there was a mighty rush through the water, and something seized
the fish and began sailing with it backwards and forwards, bending
Philip's light rod nearly double, for he had no running tackle, and only
a thin line.

"Papa! Papa!" shouted Harry, "look here; Phil has such a bite!"

Mr Inglis came up to see what sort of a bite it was that Philip had,
and at once perceived that a good-sized pike had taken his prize, and
was holding on fast, as though he did not intend to let go, although
there was a pretty good strain kept up by Philip. Of course, capturing
the pike would have been out of the question with Philip's light tackle,
even if it were not forbidden; so there was nothing left for it but to
wait and see if the pike would leave the perch, for Philip did not feel
disposed to give his fish up if he could help it, for it was what Harry
called a regular robbery; so, for three or four minutes, it was--pull
pike--pull Philip,--till at last, quite in disgust, the pike let go,
gave one swoop with his tail, and was gone.

Philip then landed his perch, which seemed quite dead, and a piece was
bitten completely out of its side.

"What a savage!" said Philip; "only look what a bite he has taken out of
my poor fish! Don't I wish I could have caught him!"

"Ah, Philip," said his father, "you did not expect to have hold of such
a fish as that; but it is not at all an unusual incident, for the pike
is a most ravenous fellow, and will take anything that comes in his way.
On one occasion I caught a small pike with a piece of paste, and
another with a worm,--both very unusual baits for there to take, as
their prey is small fish, while most people are of opinion that they
will not touch perch on account of their sharp back fin; but we had
proof this afternoon that they will. But the most curious thing that I
ever knew a pike to take was a leaden plummet, which it seized one day
when I was plumbing the depth in a canal previous to bottom fishing, as
we have been to-day. As a matter of course I was much surprised, as no
doubt the pike was also, when he felt himself hooked, and, after a
struggle, I drew him to land. But come, boys, I think it is time t