Frank Merriwell's Catch — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

, Bart obeyed, and the boys quickly _ reeled their lines. ‘“‘Now,’’ said Frank, catching a pad- dle, ‘‘to get on the further side of those splashes.’ ‘‘All right,’? came from Hodge, as he gotinto position for using his paddle, kneeling in the canoe. ‘‘Here we go!”’ | The thin blades dipped and rose from the water, flashing in the sunshine. They plied the paddles with regularity and skill, making not the least splashing. Frank steered, and he set a course that surprised Bart, who asked: . ‘“Where are we going ?”’ ‘Round that splashing,’’ was the an- swer. ‘‘We want to get on the further side.’? ‘“Why are we poing round?" “To get ahead of those fsh.”’ “Why not go straight through ?’’ . We might divide the school, or cause _ the fish to sink. Those are the perch we struck a short time ago. A few of them - were jumping then, and now the whole school is near the surface. Those fish are making for a feeding ground.”? In a short time they passed round the school and lay before them. With great haste, Frank unreeled his line, baited his hook and flung it far from him. Hodge followed his example, but did not let the hook sink far before, seeing a great splashing in another direc- tion, he began to pull in. He had not drawn the hook far before something took it with a jerk and darted away. “Great Scott!’ cried Hodge, excitedly. ‘What a bite!”? | “Pull him in!’ said Frank. Hodge obeyed, aud the fish darted from side to side, the line cutting into Bart's fingers with the fierce plunges of the finny fellow. Up to the side of the canoe Hodge pulled the fish. The bright sunshine Have you read about Grace Fuller the “Angel of West Point” in The He Half- (ClO an) TIP TOP WEEKLY. showed something white that darted and plunged in a mad endeavor to break © away, and then, at the fast moment, seemed to give up exhausted. Then, being able to see the fish plainly, Hodge stopped, uttering a gasp of aston- ishment. ‘What is it, Merry?’ he asked, ina flutter. ‘It can’t be a white pecrh, for it’s too big.” ‘(Pull it in, and then we’ll see.”’ But Bart had slackened at the wrong time, and now the great fish gave a flop and escaped from the hook. There was a flash of silver plunging dowaward, and the fish was gone. Bart was exasperated. _ “What a stupid fellow I am!’ he growled. ‘‘But that fish was so big! He was too large for a perch, and——’’ Frank was drawing in his line to give it another throw. All at once, it gavea jerk and slipped through his fingers, then he began to puli away hand over hand, while the line cut here and there through the water. “Vou have one!’ cried Bart, excitedly. "Don’t let him get away as I did, Merry! Jingos! but he is doing some fancy dodg- ing! $9} Up to the surface darted the fish and © up into the air he leaped like a flash of light out of the water. “Oh! shouted Hodge, starting to rise in his excitement. ‘“*What a dandy!”’ ‘Get down!’ commanded Frank, . quickly. ‘*You will have this canoe bot- tom up if you do that again! It’s a won- der you didn’t turn her over then!’ ‘“That’s so,’? agreed Bart, who was familiar with the cranky tricks of canoes; “but I couldn’t keep still.” Into the canoe Frank pulled his catch, and both lads stared at the. fish, for it was larger than four of the-large ones of their first lot. Holiday. (CO)