With and, ^Against tbe Grains 31 



creek flowed in. Considering that the fish was 

 slightly wounded, it might still be in the pond, so 

 the best plan was for me to wade in, and try and 

 drive it upstream to the ambushed spear. 



I beat the pond thoroughly, striking the water 

 with the spear-shaft as I went, but no big fish passed 

 Jack. Three small pike gave him a chance, which 

 yielded one victim; but when I reached him, he 

 agreed that the big one must have gone farther up 

 the creek. 



Then followed a long, patient hunt. We moved 

 abreast, one on either side of the water, searching 

 every possible cover, and jabbing our grains into 

 every pool too deep and dark for eye to penetrate, 

 but for a long time found no trace of the big fish 

 with the white scar near his tail. Other fish of fair 

 size we occasionally routed out, and several were 

 secured and placed on our respective switches. 



One capture will show what quick work may be 

 done with the grains. At a point where the creek 

 was less than four yards broad and perhaps two feet 

 deep, we noticed a decided wake on the surface. 

 Jack ran ahead and shouted : " Look out ! I've turned 

 three good ones." Then he made a few steps for- 

 ward and speared a fine fish. A mimic wave rushed 

 down on me, and I caught a glimpse of the two pike, 

 one a yard or more in the lead. This was the smaller 

 fish, but I had to strike it, or suffer it to reach a dif- 

 ficult piece of water. As it dashed abreast of me I 

 struck it near the head, and at once heaved on the 

 shaft a la pitchfork, following with a sharp, twisting, 

 backward jerk as the steel was above my head. 



The fish tore free of the tines, and went sailing 



