A LUCKY EASTES SOLTDAT. 165 



Being short of time^ we held him very hard and gave 

 him no chance of running, so as an alternative he 

 took to jumping. Up he went time after time clean 

 out of the water, the line suspended in the air from 

 the tip of his nose to the rod-top; as he fell we were 

 obliged to give him a yard or so of line, but that was 

 all he got — a real sporting fish and no mistake. 



We fully expected something to go every instant, so 

 hard were we with him ; however, by degrees the jumps 

 became less and less violent as he gradually gave in 

 to superior force, and eventually ranged himself along- 

 side his comrade in distress on the grassy bank, a 

 fish of 14 lb. weight, the two making as nice a pair of 

 fresh-run springers as is often seen. 



Twenty minutes had elapsed from the time we left 

 the bank, so it was a great bit of luck thus getting a 

 good fish, although we had to pay for it in the pace at 

 which we had to travel along the mile and a half to 

 the railway-station, to avoid a six-mile walk home. 



But all's well that ends well, and we were somewhat 

 proud at having attained success in spite of the local 

 prophets, who were much surprised at our bit of sport, 

 yet offered unstinted congratulations. 



Upon return to our quarters we found that another 

 angler had turned up, who joined us at dinner and 

 became terribly keen at the sight of the fish, and 

 entered into the discussion of the day^s sport with as 

 much appreciation as if he had formed one of the party. 



The reception accorded to an additional angler is 



