"
"Not very, William; they are very tough and very fishy: we must try for
those when we can get nothing better. Now that we have got in the seeds
and potatoes, we must all set to to-morrow morning to fell and carry
the timber. I think Mr. Seagrave had better use the axe with me; and
you and Juno can, when I have shown you how, hang the timber to the
axle, and wheel it out to the place where we have decided upon building
the house. And now we had better go to bed."
William, however, had made up his mind to do otherwise: he knew that
his mother would be very glad to have some fish, and he determined, as
the moon shone bright, to try if he could not catch some before he went
to bed; so he waited very quietly till he thought Ready was asleep as
well as the others, and then went out with the lines, and went down to
the beach, where he picked up three or four shells, and, breaking them
between two pieces of rock, took out the fish and baited his hooks. He
then walked to the point. It was a beautiful night; the water was very
smooth, and the moonbeams pierced deep below the surface. William threw
in his line, and as soon as the lead touched the bottom he pulled it up
about a foot, as Ready had instructed him; and he had not held his line
more than half a minute, when it was jerked so forcibly, that not
expecting it he was nearly hauled into the water; as it was, the fish
was so strong that the line slipped through his hand and scored his
fingers; but after a time he was able to pull it in, and he landed on
the beach a large silver-scaled fish, weighing nine or ten pounds.
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