Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/330

 swim off to us, for we gave him a lesson the last time we were here that he will remember as long as he lives."

We left the mouth of the brook at an early hour, and about four in the afternoon entered the pond, where I heard Joe say we would remain until the bread and bacon gave out, when we would go over to Indian Lake and lay in a fresh supply. Now Joe was sorry that he had left his bait-rod behind. The pond was noted for the number and fighting qualities of its bass and Joe had nothing to catch them with; at least that was what he told his friends, adding that he was afraid to trust so heavy work to me.

"You'd better be afraid," assented Roy. "If you don't want that fine rod of yours smashed into a thousand pieces, you had better not try to catch a bass with it. But I'll tell you what you might do, if you don't care to sit idly here while Art and I catch all the fish and see all the fun. You might go up to the little perch hole and throw a fly there. Perhaps you will find the perch in the pond more accommodating than they were back there in the river."