“Is it a large fish, or a small one?” asked Chap. Adam was not inclined to give the boys any information on the subject. He wanted them to find out for themselves what a channel-bass was. “Whatever they are,” said Phœnix, after a time, “they seem to be pretty scarce; I haven’t had a bite yet.” “Nor I either,” said both Chap and Phil. “They ain’t packed in the river like sardines in a box,” said Adam, “but I reckon one of ’em will come along after a while.” “I thought I had a bite,” said Phœnix, after suddenly giving his line a little jerk, “but I believe my hook has fouled on something at the bottom.” Then, after another pull, he exclaimed, “It’s loose now, but there’s nothing on it. Hook, sinker, and all must have gone!” And he began disconsolately pulling in his slackened line. Suddenly the cord, which seemed to be merely floating in the water, straightened out with a jerk, and a yard or two of it ran through Phœnix’s fingers, burning like a hot iron. Then, as the boy nervously grasped the cord with a tighter hold, he was pulled forward with such force that he fell plump upon his knees. Adam sprang to help Phœnix, but as he did so, the boy rose to his feet. “Whatever it was,” said Phœnix, “it’s off again. The line is perfectly slack.” “Haul in! haul in!” cried Adam; “you’ve got one. Don’t let your line be slack, or he’ll get off.” Phœnix, now quite excited, rapidly pulled in his line. When it had become taut again, Adam said,-- “Pull in, but not too hard, or you’ll break your line. If he tries to rush off, give him a little line, but if he comes this way, haul in your slack as fast as you can, or he’ll get off the hook.” Phœnix worked away bravely, the other boys looking on with excited interest. He pulled his line in steadily and slowly for a time; then, when the fish seemed determined to run away from him, he let out a few yards; and when it turned and swam toward the boat, he hauled in the slackened line with great rapidity. In this way he gradually drew his fish nearer and nearer to the boat, and at last it became tired, and he was able, with occasional stops when the fish gave a short struggle, to pull it slowly in. Everybody gazed earnestly at the line, and directly they saw, rising from the water, close to the boat, a head as big as a dinner-plate. There was a jerk, as if the fish decidedly objected to poking its nose into the open air, but Adam, who was leaning over the side of the boat, ready for the work of the moment, quickly stretched out his arm and slipped his hand under the fish’s gill. Then, with a powerful effort, he rose to his feet, and drew out of the water a channel-bass, over four feet long, and weighing probably forty pounds. The boys could not find words to express their astonishment and delight when they viewed this prize. “That’s what a channel-bass is!” cried Phil. “If I’d known what whoppers they were, I wouldn’t have supposed we could catch one with our lines.”