162 THE SWAN AND HER CREW. - 



job I have ever done, and old Cox ought to be infinitely 

 obliged to us. We have been two hours and a half setting this 

 line." 



Early in the morning they went out, and took up the night- 

 line, but to their great surprise they found but very few eels on 

 it,. and plenty of bream, which they did not want. They were 

 much disappointed at this, and went to Bell, and asked him the 

 reason, for there were plenty of eels in the broad. 



" Where did you set the line ? " he asked. 



" In the deep water of the channel." 



" Then that is just the place where you ought not to have 

 set it. At night the eels make for the shallow water to feed, 

 and if the grass is wet they will even wriggle out among it. I 

 have seen them myself many a time. You must set your line 

 along the edge where the water is about a foot or two feet deep, 

 and you will have as many eels as you can carry." 



They tried again, and set the line as Bell had directed them, 

 and the next morning they began to haul it in. The first hook 

 came up bare. So did the second, and the third. As they 

 hauled in the line their faces looked very blank, for every hook 

 was bare. 



"We are not the first/' said Frank savagely, "some other 

 fellows have been here before us, and have taken up the line, 

 and robbed it. They must have watched us laying it. Now 

 I'll tell you what we will do.' We will set it again to-night, and 

 watch in the yacht, and if we see any fellows touching it we 

 will give them a drubbing. Are you game ? " 



" Yes," answered both Dick and Jimmy readily, " we 

 are." 



So the third time they set the line, and then as soon as it got 

 dark they crept qutetly on board the yacht. They had set the 

 line within 150 yards of the Swan, and as there was a glitter on 

 the water from the reflection of the stars, they could see if 

 anyone approached it. 



" What shall we do if they do touch it ? " said Dick. " How 

 shall we get at them ? " 



" I did intend to take the boat, and row after them," 

 answered Frank ; " but see, we are to windward of them, and 

 there is a good breeze, so that if we let the yacht drift towards 

 them until they take the alarm, and then run the sails up, we 

 shall overtake them." 



