"I'm better now.

Lend me another line, Joe Carstairs.

I want to see if I can't catch a fish." I looked about first to see if I could trace my line, but it was hopelessly gone.

To my surprise and pleasure, though, I found the doctor's where he had left it, tied to a root and drawn out tight, evidently with a fish at the end.
I imagined that I could easily draw this out, and I did get it close up to the bank, but as soon as it was in the shallow water it sprang right out and darted away again, making the line rush through my hands so rapidly that it burned my skin.
As it leaped out I had a good opportunity of seeing that a great silvery fellow, fully a yard long, had hooked itself, and meant to have some playing before it turned over upon its side in token of submission.
I kept on playing the fish, which seemed to grow stronger instead of weaker as I went on at give and take with it, till I was almost tired.
At least six times did I draw it in and try to bring it within reach of Ti-hi's fingers, but in vain, for it always darted off as if refreshed.
At last, though, I drew it well in, and once more it was about to repeat its tactics; but this time it was too late, for the black pounced down upon it, thrust his hooked finger into its gills, and pulled it up on to the bank.
Just then Jimmy came trotting up, hauling away at a line, and to my great delight I found that he had hunted out the one we had left with Jack Penny.
"Fastum round big wood!" he cried; and then he tried to explain how the fish had entangled the line round what an American would call a snag; and the result was that we had two fine fish to carry back to the camp, Jimmy's being tired out and readily yielding as he hauled on the line.
"I don't think I'll fish to-day," said Jack Penny then.

"I say, I feel as if that buck warn't good enough to eat." Hardly had he spoken before he softly sank down sidewise, and lay looking very white, and with his eyes shut.
"Is it the venison ?" I said in a whisper to the doctor.
"No.