"You mean to go in here, and drive the fish to the net at the other end." "That's the way, Mr Marston," said Tom Tallington.

"Wait a bit, and you'll see such a haul." "Perhaps of an empty net, Mr Marston," said Dick with a grin.

"Perhaps there are none here." "You set astarn, mester," said Dave.

"I'll put her along, and you tak' one side, Mester Dick; and you t'other, young Tom Tallington." The boys had already taken up two long light poles that lay in the boat, and standing up as Dave sent the boat along slowly and making a great deal of disturbance with his pole, they beat and splashed and stabbed the water on both sides of the boat, so as to scare any fish which might happen to be there, and send them flying along the lane toward the net.
This was a comparatively easy task, for the coming of the boat was sufficient as a rule to startle the timid fish, which in turn scared those in front, the beating with the poles at either side sending forward any which might be disposed to slip back.
There was more labour than excitement in the task; but the course along the lane of water was not entirely uneventful, for a moor-hen was startled from her nest in a half-liquid patch of bog, above which rose quite a tuft of coarse herbage; and farther on, just as Dick thrust in his pole to give it a good wriggle and splash, there was a tremendous swirl, and a huge pike literally shot out of the water, describing an arc, and after rising fully four feet from the surface dropped head-first among the tangled water-weeds and reedy growth, through which it could be seen to wriggle and force its way farther and farther, the waving reeds and bubbling water between showing the direction in which it had gone.
"Hooray, Dave! a forty-pounder!" cried Dick.

"Push the punt in and we can easily catch him." "Not you," said Dave stolidly; "he'll get through that faster than we could." "But, look, look! I can see where he is." "Nay, he'll go all through theer and get deeper and deeper, and it's more wattery farther on.