SEA-BASS AND OTHER FISHES. 297 



"What?" said the major. "Black Bass here?" 



"Plenty of them up the creek, and big ones at that," 

 said Pacetti. 



"How large?" 



"Well, I've seen them caught weighing ten or twelve 

 pounds and I've heard of some as heavy as fifteen to 

 eighteen pounds." 



"What!" cried the major. "Bass weighing twelve to eight- 

 een pounds! I never heard of such a thing; six or seven 

 pounds is as large as they grow at the North." 



"Well, they grow bigger in Florida, I reckon," said P. 

 "but I've got a Bass," and he began to haul in, hand over 

 hand, and soon we saw the red sides of a big fish, darting 

 here and there, at the end of his line. It was a Channel 

 Bass of about ten pounds a fine fat fish. 



"That's the kind for you to hook, young man," said P. 

 "Do you expect to hold one on that rod?" 



"I would like to try, anyhow," said the major, and just 

 then he had a strike ; his line began to run out rapidly, and 

 he tried to stop the fish. 



"Better let him run," said I, "and put on the drag." This 

 he did, and the fish showed itself on the surface, a five- 

 pound Bass, which, after a few minutes play, was brought 

 along-side, and gaffed. 



"Well," said the major, "that's the biggest fish I ever 

 caught on a rod." 



"You will get some twice as big, before you leave the 

 Halifax,"said P. 



My bait had been lying for some time quietly on the bot- 

 tom, and raising my rod, I found the hook fast to something; 

 as I gave a pull, my line began to move slowly away, but. 

 with great force so that I could not check it. 



"I think, P.," said I, "that I have hooked what our old 

 friend from Rhode Island used to call a barn-door." 



"Well," said he, "what will you do cut it loose, or play 

 it?" 



