One moment I saw myself flying for my life from a huge writhing open-mouthed creature, and saved by a gallant attack made by Piter, who, hearing the noise, had dashed in open-jawed to seize the fierce monster by the neck; the next I was calling myself a donkey.
"Why, of course!" I cried. "When I hooked it the creature ran in towards me, and has darted in and out of some grating and wound the line tightly there."
That could not be the case, I felt as I pulled, for though it was evident that the fish had entangled the line, it was in something loose which I got nearly to the surface several times, as I gazed down there in the darkness till all at once, just as I was straining my eyes to make out what it was that was entangled with my hook, the cord snapped, there was a dull plash below me, the water rippled and babbled against the side, and all was still once more.
I stood gazing down for a few minutes, and then a flash of intelligence shot through me, and I darted back, rapidly coiling up my wet line and taking it and my basket up into the office, from whence I came hurrying out, and ready to dash down two steps at a time.
"Why, of course," I kept on saying to myself; "what stupids!"
I ran across the yard, unlocked and relocked the gate, leaving Piter disappointed and barking, and hurried back to the house, where my uncles were busy over some correspondence.
"Hurrah!" I cried. "I"ve found it all out. Come along! Down to the works!"
"You"ve found out!" cried Uncle d.i.c.k starting.
"Found it all out!" I cried excitedly. "Now, then, all of you! Come on and see."
I slipped down to Mrs Stephenson after telling my uncles to go slowly on and that I would overtake them, and that lady smiled in my face as soon as she saw me.
"Don"t say a word!" she cried. "I know what you want. Tattsey, get out the pork-pie."
"No, no," I cried; "you mistake. I"m not hungry."
"Nonsense, my dear! And if you"re not hungry now, you will be before long. I"ve a beautiful raised pie of my own making. Have a bit, my dear. Bring it, Tattsey."
It was, I found, one of the peculiarities of these people to imagine everybody was hungry, and their hospitality to their friends was without stint.
Tattsey had not so much black-lead on her face as usual. In fact it was almost clean, while her hands were beautifully white, consequent upon its being peggy day; that is to say, the day in which clothes were washed in the peggy tub, and kept in motion by a four-legged peggy, a curious kind of machine with a cross handle.
So before I could say another word the pork-pie was brought out on the white kitchen-table, and Mrs Stephenson began to cut out a wedge.
"May I take it with me," I said, "and eat it as I go along?"
"Bless the boy; yes, of course," said our homely landlady. "Boys who are growing want plenty to eat. I hate to see people starve."
"But I want you to do me a favour," I said.
"Of course, my dear. What is it?"
"I want you to lend me your clothes-line."
"What, that we are just going to put out in the yard for the clean clothes? I should just think not indeed."
"How tiresome!" I cried. "Well, never mind; I must buy a bit. But will you lend me a couple of meat-hooks?"
"Now, what in the world are you going to do with a clothes-line and two meat-hooks?"
"I"m going fishing," I said impatiently.
"Now don"t you talk nonsense, my dear," said our plump landlady, looking rather red. "Do you think I don"t know better than that?"
"But I am going fishing," I cried.
"Where?"
"In our wheel-pit."
"Then there"s someone drownded, and you are going to fish him out."
"No, no," I cried. "Will you lend me the hooks?"
"Yes, I"ll lend you the hooks," she said, getting them out of a drawer.
"We sha"n"t want the old clothes-line," said Tattsey slowly.
"No, we sha"n"t want the old clothes-line," said Mrs Stephenson, looking at me curiously. "There, you can have that."
"I"ll tell you all about it when I come back," I cried as the knot of clean cord was handed to me; and putting an arm through it and the hooks in my pocket I started off at a run, to find myself face to face with Gentles before I overtook my uncles.
"Going a wallucking, Mester Jacob?" he said.
"No; I"m going a-fishing."
"What, wi" that line, Mester?"
"Yes."
"Arn"t it a bit too thick, Mester?"
"Not in the least, Gentles," I said; and leaving him rubbing his face as if to smooth it after being shaved, I ran on and overtook my uncles just before we reached the works.
"Thought you weren"t coming, Cob," said Uncle d.i.c.k. "What are you going to do with the rope?"
"Have patience," I said laughing.
Just then we pa.s.sed Stevens, who scowled at us as he saw me with the rope, while Pannell, who was with him, stared, and his face slowly lit up with a broad grin.
They turned round to stare after us as we went to the gate, and then walked off quickly.
"What does that mean, oh, boy of mystery?" said Uncle Jack.
"They suspect that I have discovered their plans," I cried joyfully.
"And have you--are you sure?"
"Only wait five minutes, uncle, and you shall see," I cried.
We entered the works, fastened the gate after us, and then, taking the end of my fishing-line as soon as we reached the grinding-shop, I began to bind the two meat-hooks one across the other.