Harvey gave a grunt.  “Don’t know about quality, but as long as your mamma trusted me, she shan’t repent.  Take this line, and go to fishing.”

He handed one to her and she dropped the end into the water.  Harvey broke into a hearty laugh.

“You don’t ’spect to catch fish without bait, do you?”

She answered meekly:  “I s’pose not, but what is bait?”

Harvey laughed harder than ever.  “Well, you are silly.”

Beth felt aggrieved over being called silly, but she tried to look dignified.

“Don’t care, you’re just as silly as me.  My papa says if people don’t keep quiet, they’ll scare all the fish away.  You’re laughing awful loud.”

He immediately sobered down.  “True for you, Beth.  It is silly to laugh and you’re a wise girl.  You’ll make a good fisher.  Here, I’ll put the bait on for you.”

He baited her line and threw it out into deep water for her.

She waited patiently for the fish to bite, but it seemed as if her patience was to go unrewarded.  She wished for Harvey’s good opinion, and so she did not even speak.  It proved pretty dull work and to make matters worse, Harvey pulled in a number of fish, while she did not get even a nibble.

She would have given up in despair had not her pride prevented.  Harvey felt sorry for her and proved himself magnanimous.

“Beth, the fish are biting lively here.  You take my place—­yes, you must, and I’ll go around on the other side.”

Matters did not mend for Beth even with the change.  The fish seemed to follow the boy.  He caught several on the other side of the wharf, while the patient little fisher maiden waited in vain for the fish to take pity on her.

Presently, she almost feel asleep, fishing proved so uninteresting.  Then there was a terrible jerk on her line, followed by a steady pull.  Beth was afraid the alligator had swallowed the line, and that she would be dragged into the river.  Nevertheless, she hung on bravely.

“Harvey, Harvey, come quick.  I can’t pull it in.  Come quick.”

He rushed to her assistance.  The two children began pulling together.  Harvey’s eyes grew almost as big as his companion’s.

“Beth, I believe you’ve caught a whale.”

It was a very hard tug for them, but finally something black wiggled out of the water.  Beth gave a little cry.

“Harvey, it’s a snake.  I don’t want it, do you?”

His eyes sparkled.  “It’s no snake, Beth.  It’s an eel and a beauty too.  My, what a monster!”

“Are you sure it is not a snake?”

“Of course I am.  Darkies call them second cousins to snakes and won’t eat them, but they are fine eating.  My, just see him squirm.  Isn’t he big, though?  You’re a brick, Beth, to catch him.”

By this time, the eel was safely landed on the wharf, and proved to be indeed a monster.  It was a wonder that the children had ever been able to pull him in.  Harvey tried to unhook him, but failed; for just as the boy thought he had him, the eel would slip away.