"But we don't want you." Edward's face became puckered with disappointment, and his eyes were full of misery, as he turned them piteously upon his young master. "Yes, I want him," said Jack, in response to the appealing look, and the man's hopes rose. "What for?" said the doctor, and Edward's aspirations went down to zero. "I don't know," said Jack coolly; "to unhook the fish. I'm not going to soil my hands." "Oh, very well," said the doctor; "I don't mind, but we had better catch the fish before you take them off the hook. Now then, in with you." Lenny and the mate stepped down into the boat, Jack and the doctor followed, and then, looking flushed and excited as a boy, Edward jumped in, giving, his young master a grateful look as soon as the doctor was not looking. CHAPTER SIXTEEN. AN AWKWARD CUSTOMER. There was no need to go far afield in search of sport, for before Lenny and the mate had rowed them a couple of hundred yards, with Jack and the doctor preparing their lines, they were passing close by a large shoal of fish, another being some distance astern. These were leaping and playing about on the surface, making the water ripple and sparkle, and every now and then there was a flash as of a bar of silver darting into the sunny air, and falling back with a loud splash. "This looks promising," said the doctor; "but my word, how hot the boat is. I touched that copper rowlock, and it quite burned my band." "I could hardly bear mine on the side," said Jack; "but let's begin." "Yes, we must have a few of these fellows, Jack. I wish we had rods, we could throw so much better." "I don't think you will need them," said the mate, as he finished attaching a spoon-bait to Jack's line; "the current will carry the bait right through the shoal." "Yes, but fair play, Jack. I'm not ready, let's start together." But he was too late. Jack dropped his bait over the side as the doctor spoke, and away it glided, sinking slowly and turning and twinkling in the sunlit water, while when, in obedience to the mate's instructions, Jack checked the line as it ran over the side, and drew it a few feet back, the resemblance to a fish was strangely apparent. "There you are," cried the doctor, as, after laying a quantity of line in rings beside him, he threw his own bait so cleverly that it fell with a light splash nearly on a level with his companion's. "Now then; a race for the first fish!" he cried, and they let out a good fifty yards of line, with the result that, while, by Lenny giving a gentle stroke or two with the oars, the boat was kept pretty well in its place, the artificial baits were carried by the current right into the middle of the shoal of fish playing about on the surface. "Now for it," said the doctor, who looked as excited as the boy. "We must have one directly." "If they will take the artificial bait," said the mate. "Keep jerking your line, Mr Jack." "That way?"