Oh, look! Look!" They were about fifty yards from where the line with its buoy had been put over the side, and as Tom had casually looked back he had seen the bladder give a bob, and then begin to skim along the surface.
"Well, I can see," said Dick, "it's the gudgeon swimming fast." "Nay," said Dave, ceasing to pull; "something's got it.

I shouldn't wonder if it's the big pike." The lads breathlessly watched the bladder go skimming along.

Every now and then it gave a bob or two, and then on it went farther and farther from them toward a patch of reeds all broken down and shattered by the wind and lying by itself quite a hundred yards from where the bait had been dropped in.
"Is it the big pike, Dave ?" said Dick eagerly.
"Dunno," was the laconic reply.

"Mebbe 'tis, mebbe 'tisn't." "You'll give it time, Dave," cried Tom excitedly, forgetting all his previous qualms.
"Ay, we'll give him time," said Dave with his face tightened so that the ruddy portion of his lips had disappeared, and his mouth was represented by what seemed to be a scar extending right across the lower portion of his countenance.

"Who's going to hook him out ?" "I will," cried Dick quickly.