CHAPTER 1

The Catch

It was a hot May afternoon in the swamps and creeks of Salt Island. Two boys, one black, one copper-skinned, were casting a net in one of the holes of Arn’s Creek.

“There, over there,” hissed Eddie, the copper-skinned boy. The school of small mullet rippled the water. Eddie threw his arms wide and kicked at the water from his side of the hole. The startled mullet made torpedo waves as they headed toward the other side where Jason stood, quiet as a post, at the water’s edge.

When the mullet were close, Jason half-turned like a discus thrower, and then threw the net, low and spreading, just above the swimming fish. The net’s lead weights dropped it into the water.

“Nah, you missed. Lower and out more.” Eddie wished he had the net. “Bring it in, quick.”

“Shut up, Eddie,” said Jason, his black skin shiny with sweat. He coiled the braided cord as he pulled it in. Then the cord went taut. “Rats,” he mumbled, “it’s hung up on oysters.”

But it wasn’t hung up on oysters. Jason felt the whole net shiver through the cord, and for a second he imagined mud exploding on the creek bottom. “Whoa!” he yelled as he pulled. “Whoa! I got me a fish, man. Whoa!” The net was alive and jerking him into the water. “It’s a monster!”

“Get him! Get him! Pull him on in, Jason! Hold on!” Eddie yelled as he raced past the hole to the shallow part of the creek and crossed over to Jason’s side. “Maybe it’s a gator, or a shark. Pull that sucker in!” He skidded to a stop in the soft mud beside Jason and grabbed at the cord. Just as he pulled back, both legs went out from under him. He fell into Jason and both boys went down into the churning water. Alligators, sharks, or whatever was in the net were seriously on their minds as they pushed back out of the water on their butts.