never saw it coming, and he was sure that Pike hadn’t either. The boys barely had time to scream before being thrown out of the boat and into the water.
Griffy’s life jacket did its job, and he quickly resurfaced unharmed. Relieved, he saw that Pike had come up, too. Standing in the chest-high water, Pike looked at his hands in dismay.
“The pole! The pole!” he panicked. “I dropped the pole! Griffy! Help!”
Both boys looked down, searching the water frantically.
“I don’t see it! I don’t see it!” Pike cried out.
Simultaneously, the boys removed their life jackets and dove underwater.
During the commotion following The Lucky 13 ’s capsize, the muskie readied for another attack. It swam under the lodge’s dock and circled back. In doing so, it wrapped the fishing line around one of the dock’s posts, snapping the line and setting the ferocious beast free. If the fish knew it was free to swim away, it gave no indication. It was a predator, and its prey was in the water just a few feet away.
Griffy came up for air briefly, then dove underwater again. He spied the cane pole and needed a little more air to retrieve it. Breaststroking through the water, he snatched the pole and prepared to resurface when movement caught his eye. The muskie swam past him with a force that sent waves through the water. Griffy bobbed backward against it and watched in horror as the beast headed for Pike. The fish’s stalking pattern made Griffy think of a wolf, a long, spearlike wolf hunting the waters.
Griffy swam underwater toward Pike but had to resurface when his lungs felt they would burst. He saw that Pike had resurfaced near the dock in waist-high water. Griffy held up the pole and yelled, “Pike! Look out! Get out of the water!”
But Pike didn’t seem to hear or see him. He appeared to be in a trance, staring blankly at the cane pole and the broken fishing line fluttering in the sky.
“Pike!” Griffy screamed again waving his arms and the pole back and forth. “Muskie coming! Move! Now!”
Pike’s face finally wrinkled in puzzlement. “What?”
Too late.
Pike let out an agonizing yelp as the muskie, with a fast, powerful lunge, sank its razor-sharp fangs into his thigh. He fell back into the water. Streams of blood rose to the surface.
Griffy struggled against the weight of the water to reach his friend. He saw Gil racing into the water from shore to help. Griffy reached Pike first; he jabbed the muskie with the bottom of the double-eyed cane and pulled Pike, gasping for air, up out of the water.
The muskie didn’t let go. Instead, it whipped its sleek body around and stabbed Griffy’s arm with one of its spiky side fins. Blood oozed down his arm, but Griffy didn’t let go either. He locked his hands and arms around Pike’s chest. With all the might he could gather, Griffy slowly heaved Pike and the muskie clamped on his leg into shallower water.
The muskie shook its head frenetically. Pike screamed in pain as his puncture wounds ripped wider. Griffy lost his footing, fell backward, and landed on the lake’s bottom. Gil reached the scene just as Griffy went under water, trapped by the muskie and Pike’s body. Struggling to keep his face above water, Griffy motioned toward the cane pole. “Grab the pole and jab!” he ordered.
Gil stabbed the monster fish as its tail whipped violently side to side. “Back off my brother!” she screamed.
Her blows helped Griffy escape, but still the beast held on to Pike. As Griffy struggled to regain his footing, he had an idea.
“The club! The club! Where is it?”
Gil looked confused for a moment and then exclaimed, “It’s here! I forgot!” She had run from shore with the club Mr. Hanover had given them still strapped on her wrist.
Gil thrust the club at Griffy. With both hands, he raised it high overhead and swung down hard striking the scaly monster right between its beady eyes. He raised his arms and swung again. Splat! Bam!
The heavy blows
Griffy’s life jacket did its job, and he quickly resurfaced unharmed. Relieved, he saw that Pike had come up, too. Standing in the chest-high water, Pike looked at his hands in dismay.
“The pole! The pole!” he panicked. “I dropped the pole! Griffy! Help!”
Both boys looked down, searching the water frantically.
“I don’t see it! I don’t see it!” Pike cried out.
Simultaneously, the boys removed their life jackets and dove underwater.
During the commotion following The Lucky 13 ’s capsize, the muskie readied for another attack. It swam under the lodge’s dock and circled back. In doing so, it wrapped the fishing line around one of the dock’s posts, snapping the line and setting the ferocious beast free. If the fish knew it was free to swim away, it gave no indication. It was a predator, and its prey was in the water just a few feet away.
Griffy came up for air briefly, then dove underwater again. He spied the cane pole and needed a little more air to retrieve it. Breaststroking through the water, he snatched the pole and prepared to resurface when movement caught his eye. The muskie swam past him with a force that sent waves through the water. Griffy bobbed backward against it and watched in horror as the beast headed for Pike. The fish’s stalking pattern made Griffy think of a wolf, a long, spearlike wolf hunting the waters.
Griffy swam underwater toward Pike but had to resurface when his lungs felt they would burst. He saw that Pike had resurfaced near the dock in waist-high water. Griffy held up the pole and yelled, “Pike! Look out! Get out of the water!”
But Pike didn’t seem to hear or see him. He appeared to be in a trance, staring blankly at the cane pole and the broken fishing line fluttering in the sky.
“Pike!” Griffy screamed again waving his arms and the pole back and forth. “Muskie coming! Move! Now!”
Pike’s face finally wrinkled in puzzlement. “What?”
Too late.
Pike let out an agonizing yelp as the muskie, with a fast, powerful lunge, sank its razor-sharp fangs into his thigh. He fell back into the water. Streams of blood rose to the surface.
Griffy struggled against the weight of the water to reach his friend. He saw Gil racing into the water from shore to help. Griffy reached Pike first; he jabbed the muskie with the bottom of the double-eyed cane and pulled Pike, gasping for air, up out of the water.
The muskie didn’t let go. Instead, it whipped its sleek body around and stabbed Griffy’s arm with one of its spiky side fins. Blood oozed down his arm, but Griffy didn’t let go either. He locked his hands and arms around Pike’s chest. With all the might he could gather, Griffy slowly heaved Pike and the muskie clamped on his leg into shallower water.
The muskie shook its head frenetically. Pike screamed in pain as his puncture wounds ripped wider. Griffy lost his footing, fell backward, and landed on the lake’s bottom. Gil reached the scene just as Griffy went under water, trapped by the muskie and Pike’s body. Struggling to keep his face above water, Griffy motioned toward the cane pole. “Grab the pole and jab!” he ordered.
Gil stabbed the monster fish as its tail whipped violently side to side. “Back off my brother!” she screamed.
Her blows helped Griffy escape, but still the beast held on to Pike. As Griffy struggled to regain his footing, he had an idea.
“The club! The club! Where is it?”
Gil looked confused for a moment and then exclaimed, “It’s here! I forgot!” She had run from shore with the club Mr. Hanover had given them still strapped on her wrist.
Gil thrust the club at Griffy. With both hands, he raised it high overhead and swung down hard striking the scaly monster right between its beady eyes. He raised his arms and swung again. Splat! Bam!
The heavy blows
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