Page:Martha Spreull by Zachary Fleming.pdf/109

Rh we were driftin' fa«t backward, and being afraid we might get carried oot to sea or landed on some desert shore, I appealed to Willie to let the line go. In this Mrs. Wamock warmly supported me. It wis maybe a whale, or a shark, or a sea serpent, she said, and she wisna prepared to dee.

But oor entreaties were in vain. The boatman telt us to gie him time. It wis, he said, a fine fish; there wis nae danger if we wud just let him hae his swing.

Meantime Willie held on like a true Briton. By and by the boat stopped gaun backward, and the line slackened. Mrs. Wamock thanked guidness the bruit wis awa’,and Willie wound up the line wi’ an expression o’ disappointment on his face. I wis sorry to look at him; but while this feelin’ wis passin’ through my mind, the face changed as if by an electric shock. The line tightened, and backwards we went again—but this time wi’ less force.

Weel, efter five minutes’ struggle the laddie wis able to wind up, and the fish cam’ dourly wi’ him. Hand ower hand the cratur wis brought to the side o’ the boat, and it wis frichtsome to see him lyin’ in the watter lookin’ up at us wi’ his wide black een. He made twa or three struggles to win awa’, and struck the side o’ the boat wi’ sic force that we had some fear the vessel micht spring a leak, and that we micht even yet find a watery grave within sicht o’ land. The danger, however, wis averted, for the laddie at the oars had a lang stick wi’ a cleek at the tae end o’t, which he stuck into the chaffs o’ the fish and dragged him into the boat. It wis an awfu’ struggle. The fish turned oot to be o’ the cod order, and, as we efterwards found, weighed twelve pounds. Weel, efter that we gaed hame, and as it was nearly dark, we had tea thegither. I saw Willie to bed, and went ower the shore to get the air and escort Mrs. Wamock to her ain door.