an effort to master his dread.

"Right, then," cried Josh; "lift the lead there over the side, and I'll
drop in the bait, and we shall have no tangle."

Arthur lifted a heavy piece of lead of the shape of a long egg cut down
through its long diameter and attached by wire rings to the line, and
lowered it over the side, Josh dropping in the silvery bait of pilchard
at the same moment, and as the lead sank the bait seemed to dart down as
if alive, disappearing in the dark clear water as the line ran rapidly
over the side.

"Let your line run, lad; there's good seven fathom o' water just here.
That's the way," said Josh. "Now she's at the bottom."

_Plash, plash_! came from the other side of the boat, and Dick shouted,
"Hooray, Taff! here goes for first fish."

"Never you mind him," said Josh to Arthur. "Now, then, hold hard; haul
up a fathom o' line--that's the way: now your bait's just by the bottom,
and you'll know when you've got a bite."

Arthur obeyed, and sat in the boat holding the line with both hands as
rigid as a wax image, and gazing hopelessly at the rough fisherman,
whose one short arm seemed horribly clever and deft, but he fancied it
would be awkward if he had to deal with a large eel.

"Hadn't you better get the chopper ready?" said Arthur hoarsely.

"Oh, that's all ready," said Josh laughing; "but you ain't had a touch
yet."

"N-no--I'm not sure," said Arthur; "something seemed heavy at the end of
the line."

"Four pound o' lead, my lad, is heavy," said Josh, smiling. "You'll
know when you get a conger."

"Hadn't--hadn't we better fish for something else, as the congers don't
bite?"

"How do you know as they don't bite?" said Josh good-humouredly.

"They--they don't seem to," said Arthur. "Perhaps the bait's off. Had
we better see?"

"Oh, no; that bait isn't off," said Josh quietly. "You bide a bit, my
lad. Congers don't care about light when they're feeding. You'll see
when the sun's well down."

"But I'd rather fish for mackerel, I think," said Arthur as he gazed
down into the dark water, and seemed to see twining monsters coming up
to pluck him out of the boat.

"Couldn't ketch mack'rel here, my lad. This is a conger hole. Reg'lar
home for 'em among these rocks. Will and me found 'em out: nobody else
comes and fishes here. We found this hole."

"Ahoy! here's a game. Oh, don't he pull! Oh, my hands!" cried Dick.

"Let me take him," said Will.

"No, no, I'll catch h