Muskie Attack (An Up North Adventure) Read Online Free PDF

then some,” Pike agreed. “I’ve got a new one somewhere.” He rummaged through his tackle box. “Here. You can have this one, but not the One-Armed Bandit. It’s got the scent.”
    “What scent?” Corbett asked.
    “The scent of walleye weed. It calls to them.”
    Corbett rolled his eyes, and the two boys laughed. Corbett was learning that the fishing world was full of tall tales and teasing.
    Just then, the boys heard a bark at the back door.
    “Our hero is still here?” Pike questioned excitedly. He leaped up and opened the door, and in bounded a medium-sized dog with black, wavy fur. The dog had flecks of white above each eye and on his chin. It looked like he had two bushy eyebrows and a goatee, features that made him appear wise yet mischievous.
    “I thought Dell was sending him to the pound.”
    “That’s what he said. But he keeps putting out food and water. And yesterday, when we were in town, he bought a big bag of bones at the meat store.” Corbett shrugged. “I guess we’re keeping him.”
    The dog sat down next to Corbett, raised his bushy eyebrows, and barked again.
    “You hungry?” Corbett asked, scratching the dog behind his ears. The little guy was actually growing on him. He got up to fill his bowl.
    “We should name him, Grif,” Pike called after him.
    Corbett came back on the porch with a bowl full of dog food. “Would you quit calling me that,” he said, exasperated. “The guests are starting to call me Grif now.”
    “Well, Corbett is just so serious,” Pike explained, “like you should be wearing a suit or something. Horace Coopersmith, you know in Cabin 3? Everyone calls him Coop. That’s where I got the idea. Your last name Griffith shortens to Grif. It’s perfect.”
    “Well, my father doesn’t like nicknames,” Corbett said firmly. “He thinks they’re silly, and so do I.”
    Pike shrugged. “OK. But I can’t control what other people call you. So, what about him?” he asked, pointing at the dog, who was now lying down warming himself in a patch of sunlight.
    Corbett returned to his tackle box. “I don’t know.”
    He picked up a large torpedo lure with propellerlike spinners at each end and began twirling them as he thought about a name.
    The propellers caught the sunlight that streamed in and sent it dancing across the porch. The movement startled the dog, and he jumped up and began barking and chasing the traveling light.
    Pike picked up a lure and joined in the light show. The two boys laughed so hard their sides started to ache.
    “I guess we know what to call him now,” Pike said.
    “Yep,” Corbett nodded, “Spinner!”
    Pike and Corbett were still on the porch when they heard two people talking and walking in their direction. Pike signaled Corbett to hush and lay low—the better to eavesdrop. Corbett recognized the voices as those of Vera Goodner from Cabin 5 and Uncle Dell.
    “You know I don’t interfere in other’s business,” Vera was saying, “but it’s just not right.”
    Pike and Corbett quietly rolled their eyes at each other. Everyone knew Vera loved nothing more than interfering in other people’s business.
    “That Cabin 4 is jugging. Practically every night! And with that lady from the DNR boating around,” she said this with slight disdain, “well, you could get in trouble.”
    Corbett looked at Pike. Pike shook his head dismissively and whispered, “Dell won’t get in any trouble, but Taylor Wilson in Cabin 4 will.” Pike held up his hand and rubbed his thumb across his fingers. “Big fine,” he mouthed. Then he whispered again. “It’s the DNR I’m worried about.”
    Obviously, so was Uncle Dell.
    “So the DNR’s been out on the lake?” he asked.
    “Yes,” Vera said sternly. “Not stopping anyone. Just looking around, it seems. A lot of gadgets in the boat. But that’s not the problem here. The jugging. What are you going to do about that?”
    “OK, Vera, I’ll talk to him. Don’t worry. And thanks for the