'em."

"Minnow-poles," as they called them, could be cut from the bushes at the
margin, and little fish could be taken at the same time that they were
trying for large ones. They found too, before long, that sometimes a
very respectable perch or bass would stoop to nibble at one of the
"elegant worms" with which Dick Lee had provided them.

"No turn of the tide to wait for here, Dab," said Ford, "and no crabs to
steal your bait off. Hey! There comes one. Perch! First game for my
hook."

"We'll stay till dark, but we'll get a good string. Frank, your cork's
under."

"Never fished with one before," said Frank. "I'll soon get the hang of
it."

That was a capital school for it, at all events; and they learned that
it might be a good thing for a little lake like that to have a bad
reputation.

"Fished out years ago. I understand now," said Dab.

"Understand what?"

"Why, those fellows in the village that sent me out here were playing a
joke on us,--a good deal like one of Joe and Fuz Hart's."

"Best kind of a joke. But if we tell about it when we get home, the