A PMETTY KETTLE OF FISH. 231 



whether right or wrong in the main question, is no 

 doubt but doing his duty to his employer; yet one 

 cannot aflford to consider this; so we replied that in 

 the event of his attempting to throw us in there 

 probably would be two persons with wet skins, adding 

 that, for the present, at all events, we were casting from 

 the bed of the river and not from the island. 



This point seemed new to him, but after a few moments' 

 consideration he answered, " That doesn't count, for 

 you've got your back into our place " — meaning that 

 we were casting towards our own shore. 



By this time we had reached the end of the catch, 

 but in order to argue the matter out we cried, " Oh ! 

 it's quite immaterial to us if we cast face forwards, 

 or turn round and cast backwards over the shoulder ; 

 and if the latter will aflFord you any particular pleasure 

 we have no objection to humour you on this occasion;" 

 and suiting the action to the word we quickly faced 

 about, hoisted the line in air and replaced it in the 

 stream. 



It so chanced that the fly when at full length in the 

 air swished round just over the cob's head, who bucked 

 up and neatly laid the lad on his neck, then, astonished 

 at his achievement, stood still. 



Fortunately the lad was righted, and so comic was 

 the incident that we all burst out laughing, in which 

 we were joined by a knot of idlers who had gathered 

 to see the fun from the opposite bank. 



The keeper, with still a smile on his face, said, " That 



