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42 water, and Joan, really awake now, pulled with a will. There was a sudden flop; then Joan, Garth, and a four-pound blackfish were struggling together on the landing, and none of them knew exactly who was which. When they finally separated themselves, Joan and Garth were rather wet, because the blackfish had been sitting in both their laps; but Garth was laughing so hard that Joan laughed a little, too, although the blackfish had hit her in the eye with his tail.

"It's much the biggest we've ever caught from here! I shouldn't wonder if he weighed ten or twenty pounds!" said Garth. "Wait till Fogger sees what a wonderful fisherman you are. I've never caught anything but flounders here, except littler blackfish and chogsets and eels.”

"You did most of the catching, it seems to me," said Joan. "I dare say he would have got away from me."

"It was your line, though," Garth said. "I hope he didn't spoil your dress. We don't ever wear very good clothes out here. You know you're apt to get fish on them all the time, and eel-grass, and all sorts of things." As he spoke, he wiped his hands on his blue denim