"Splash away, my lad.
That'll keep away the cold." Poor Tom's feet had not been wet, but as he stood up with the water trickling from him, a couple of streams soon made their way down the legs of his trousers into his boots.

This was, however, soon forgotten in the excitement of the hauling.
For, after a fresh amount of splashing, though Dave declared the fish had all come back, the punt was run pretty close up to one side, the lines and pole taken on board, and the punt thrust toward the other side.
Before they reached it the bobbing of the rush floats and the semicircular shape of the top line showed plainly enough that there were a good many fish there; and when Dave had secured the lines at the other end, removed the poles, and by ingenious manipulation drawn on the bottom line so as to raise the cord, it was not long before the net began to assume the shape of a huge bag, and one that was pretty heavy.
Every now and then a swirl in the water and a splash showed where some large fish was trying to escape, while sometimes one did leap out and get away.

Then the surface would be necked with silvery arrows as swarms of small-fry appeared flashing into sight and disappearing, these little bits of excitement growing less frequent as the small fish found their way over the top of the net, or discovered that the meshes were wide enough to allow them to pass through.
"How is it, Dave, that all the little fish like to keep to the top of the water, and the big ones out of sight down at the bottom ?" said Dick.
Dave chuckled, or rather made a noise something like a bray.
"S'pose you was a fish, young mester, wouldn't you, if you was a little one, keep nigh the top if you found going down to the bottom among the big uns meant being swallowed up ?" "Oh, of course!" cried Dick.

"I forgot that they eat one another.
Look, Mr Marston, that was a pike." He pointed excitedly to a large fish which rose to the surface, just showing its dark olive-green back as it curved over and disappeared again, making the water eddy.
"They do not seem to have all gone, Dave," said Mr Marston.
"Nay, theer's a few on 'em left, mester," replied Dave.

"Now, my lads, all together.