noon
He flogged the water till nightfall , confidently at first though clumsily , at length with the air of a Xerxes casting chains into the flood ; but never a bite rewarded him . He gave over the rod in a huff , but began again at dawn , to lay it down after an hour and swear viciously . As he retired Muskingon took the pole ; he had watched John 's one and only cast and began to imitate it patiently , while the sergeant jeered and the canoe drifted . Towards noon he felt a bite , struck , and missed ; but half an hour later he struck again and Menehwehna shouted and pointed as John 's fly was sucked under in a noble swirl of water . Muskingon dragged back his rod and stretched out a hand for the line ; but Barboux had already run forward and clutched it , at the same moment roughly thrusting him down on his seat ; and then in a moment the mischief was done . The line parted , and the sergeant floundered back with a lurch that sent the canoe down to her gunwale . McQuarters laughed aloud and grimly .