Who are the protagonists, and what are they like?

Dave is one of the three men "sinking the shaft" at Stony Creek. He and a fellow friend Andy like fishing, so Dave comes up with an idea to blow up fish in the water-hole with a cartridge. Later, when Tommy the retriever chases the men with the cartridge in his mouth, Dave seeks help at local pub and leads the dog with the explosive into the inhabited area.

Like his friend Dave, Andy likes fishing. It is he who puts Dave’s idea into practice, as he “usually put Dave's theories into practice if they were practicable, or bore the blame for the failure and the chaffing of his mates if they weren’t."