Page:Under MacArthur in Luzon.djvu/107

Rh and so Si had to go along whether he would or not.

"I'm a goner, sure!" thought the boy, dismally. "This fish is going to carry me right down to the bottom!" But the fish did nothing of the sort. Instead, it kept close to the surface, so that Si got an occasional chance to catch his breath, although obtaining by no means all the air he wanted.

When the youth came up and caught sight of the small boat coming to rescue him, his hope revived. But only for a moment, for instantly the fish whirled around and began to carry him further off than ever.

"I've got to git loose of that line somehow!" said Si to himself, and began to work nervously with his disengaged hand. But as all know, a wet line is much harder to untie than a dry one, and it seemed to the boy that the knot grew tighter each instant.

Suddenly the fish took a new tack. For a brief spell the line loosened, then came a jerk which almost took Si's arm out by the socket, and on went the aquatic creature at a madder rate of speed than ever.

The course was now under water for a long time