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Updated: May 29, 2025
But at last he commenced to reel in steadily, and then, with a swing, he lifted his catch bodily and allowed it to drop on the grass, where it flounced and flopped vigorously for a moment. "A maskalonge!" cried the other boys simultaneously. "And a big one!" added Whopper. "Tell you what! It takes Giant to haul in the big fish!" was Snap's comment. "No little chaps for him!"
"But just the same I'm willing to stay here to-day and fish. Maybe we can get some big maskalonge, same as we did before." "And if we can't get those we can get some pickerel and bass and perch," added Giant. Snap had promised to get breakfast ready, and he set in with a will as soon as he was dressed.
Over the gunwale of the banca, in a sparkle of flying spray, silvery in the morning sun, the maskalonge gleamed. Excited and happy as a child, Beatrice clapped her hands. Stern seized the paddle as she let it fall.
Snap and Whopper hurried in the direction, and as the little youth managed to get a footing near the beach they ran in up to their ankles and dragged him to safety. Then all three began to haul in on the fishing line. "I see what it is!" cried Snap. "A maskalonge -and a whopper, too!"
Whopper spent most of his time fishing and brought in, besides trout and perch, several good sized maskalonge, although no particular fish as large as the maskalonge Giant had captured the summer previous. As the days went by and nothing more was heard of the mysterious voice, the young hunters grew more confident and almost forgot about the affair.
Snap was right, and it was no mean task to bring the fish to the shore, and even then it flopped around in a manner that scared them a little. The maskalonge was dark gray in color with small black spots, and measured all of four feet and a half from head to tail. "My, but he is a whopper!" cried Shep, as he ran the boat ashore and surveyed the haul. "No wonder he yanked Giant overboard."
"Appetite!" cried Whopper. "I could eat a house and lot!" "With the fence and barn thrown in," added Giant. They washed up a bit and soon had dinner, consisting of baked maskalonge, pancakes and chocolate. For dessert they had apples. "Now we'll rest for an hour and then go swimming," said Shep, and so it was decided. All took a nap, Tommy lying down on the grass with the faithful Wags beside him.
Besides the maskalonge, the boys had caught several pike of fair size, so they were assured of enough to eat for several days. "The best thing we can do to-morrow is to find a suitable camping spot and build a shelter," said Snap. "We don't want to be caught out in the open again."
High in air, lithe and graceful and very swift, a spurt of green and white a long, slim curve of glistening power a splash; and again the cord drew hard. "Maskalonge!" Stern cried. "Oh, we've got to land him got to! Fifteen pounds if he's an ounce!" Beatrice, flushed and eager, watched the fight with fascination. "If I can bring him close, you strike hit hard!" the man directed. "Give it to him!
"Now," said he, and smiled, "now a nice little pile of dead wood on the beach, a curl of birch-bark and a handful of pine punk and grass a touch of the flint and steel! Then this," and he pointed at the maskalonge, "broiled on a pointed stick, with a handful of checkerberries for dessert, and I think you and I will be about ready to begin work in earnest!"
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