The boat answered to the drag as if she had been a spirited horse resenting a touch at the curb rein, and away they went, with the water surging up towards the gunwale as she careened over. They had sailed on for a few minutes when a loud cry came from the mate. "Ahoy there! Oh, murder!" he yelled. "Throw her up in the wind, or I shall have my arms dragged out of their sockets." For just when least expected there was a tremendous jerk as some fish or reptile snatched at the flying bait, and Lynton was scarcely able to keep his hold of the line. "Let him run," cried Brace. "Give him plenty of line." For the moment the mate was too much taken by surprise to act, but, recovering himself while one of the men snatched up and loosened more line from the winder, he let out yard after yard of the stout cord, and, the boat's way being checked, it became possible to do something in the way of playing the seizer of the bait. "It pulls like a whale," panted the mate, as he endeavoured to control the line. "Never mind," said Briscoe; "give him time, and you'll tire him out." "If he don't tire me out. I say, it's a monster. It must be a big 'gator." "Never mind what it is," cried Brace excitedly: "catch him." "It's all very fine to talk," growled the mate, "but he'll have the skin off my hands if I stick to him, for it seems as if instead of me catching him he's caught me, and I expect he'll have me in the water soon." Briscoe, who was as excited as anyone, burst into a hearty laugh at this, and, laying down his gun, took up the short-handled gaff-hook which lay beneath the thwarts. "That won't be any good for this fellow," cried Lynton; "it's a great shark, I believe. Take the boathook." "No, no; it's too blunt," said Brace. "Look here, Lynton: you go on playing him." "Play! Do you call this play? My arms are being racked." "He must be getting exhausted now. He can't keep on at that very much longer." "Well, if he doesn't soon give way, I shall have to do so." "Wait a minute or two and then get the brute to the surface, and I'll put a charge of big shot through him." "No, no; he'll break away if you do that," cried the mate. "I want to get him aboard if I can manage it. I say: the tackle isn't too big and coarse, is it, Mr Brace?" "I didn't expect you were going to hook a thing like this at the first attempt. Give him some more line." "There's on'y 'bout a fathom more of it left, sir," cried the man who was casting the line off from the winder. "Let out half and then get a hold too, my lad," said Lynton. "Ay, ay, sir," answered the man. "This is rather too much of a good thing," said the mate. "Here, let the boat go with him; it'll ease the strain." "Why, he has been towing us for the last five minutes," said Briscoe. "Hi! hullo!" cried Brace. "Oh, what luck! Gone!"