28 
NATURE study. 
had heard him tell of the fish that g-ot away ; moreover, 
she had caught a glimpse of Pike as he came to the top of 
the water. 
Soon there was the heavy step of a man, and a little later 
another shiner came down through the hole. But Pike 
had learned a great lesson, and for long after was care¬ 
ful about shiners with hooks in their bodies and lines that 
came from above downwards. He moved away a little and 
watched the shiner swimming about in the light that came 
down through the hole above it, but he did not feel hun- 
gry. 
By and by. Pike saw something coming out from the 
shadows back in the darker water. It came .swiftly and 
straight for the shiner. It was a big pickerel, that did not 
know as much as Pike-about this kind of shiner, for it had 
never learned Pike’s lesson. It took the shiner in its 
mouth and swam as far as the line would let it. Then 
there was more hurrying on the ice, and the sound of chil¬ 
dren’s voices, and any one might easily guess that the boy 
was pulling hard at the line and the girl was looking at 
him. 
Sometimes the big pickerel would be dragged upward 
through the water; sometimes he would have his way 
again and pull the line down after him. The boy tugged 
with all his might, and the girl had no thought of laugh¬ 
ing ; for the fish this time was really big, and both were 
much in earnest. 
“Oh, don’t wind the line around your hand! Father 
said it would cut if it should slip, and then you will be hurt 
dreadfully.’’ 
The boy was having a hard time of it, and the little 
girl was thoughtful. Then came a heavy step on the ice, 
and the line was drawn in steadily. The pickerel strug¬ 
gled with might and main, but it could not keep from 
following. It was dragged along quite helplessly ; some¬ 
times on its side, sometimes on its back, and sometimes 
