Chaft. x. Plat ing a /' from a Boat. 123 



The wisdom of killing a fish by itself, is amusingly recognized 

 in the Tamil proverb that the Paddy-bird or Indian Egret never 

 takes a fish ont of a shoal, bnl waits till a solitary one passes. 

 The proverb waa told ni<' apropos of a criminal prosecution. 

 I was running the trail of a first class plunderer, a regular tiger, 

 amongst the poor aheep committed to my protection as a ruler. 

 There was a very twin to him left as unnoticed the while as if 

 I was utterly ignorant of his goings on. Hut lookers on, who 

 wanted to see justice overtake the tyrant, told me afterwards. 

 " We understood you, Sir, you were like the I'addy-bird." And 

 so the story came. In this, then, prudent reader, be like the 

 Baddy-bird. 



Cannot you get a pull on him at all yet '. Wind him in wheii- 

 either from his swimming in your direction, 

 or yielding ever so little to your steady unremitting pressure; take 

 every inch you can; still don't be in a hurry, don't attempt 

 to put on more pressure than your rod will hear, only keep 

 on the pressure you have on unremittingly, and whenever you 

 feel it lessen ever so slightly take as many turns of the 

 winch as he will let yon. Wind him in fast, but keep your 

 hand wry lightly on the winch ready to let go in a second 

 if he makes a plunge, Kr-r-r-r goes the winch, and he has 

 made a dash off on catching sight of you and the boat The rush 

 is over. Quick, and w bad him in again. Ah, it is about his last run. 

 .\..v. -i.ady, wind in cautiously till you have got the line just such 

 a length that you can bring him up to the top at the side of the 

 boat ; hut keep him off the boat. Don't attempt to lift him out by 

 the rod; he is too big, and would break your top; still less dream 

 of touching the line, Kuti knows all about it. He has got the 

 landing net out, a big salmon landing-net, about 1 ft 3 in. across 

 the mouth, and 2 ft. 6 in. deep, and very full so as to let the fish lie 

 across directly it is in the net. Bring the fish slowly towards him that 

 lie may take him into the net head foremost if he can. Be on the 



out, however, to keep a constant taut Lint tin; fish, for he 



will evade the net as it nears him. Never mind the boat tilting t" 

 within two or three inches of the water; Kuti knows exactly how 

 much his boat will stand; only do not you stand up or otherwise 

 move from your seat. It is not worth while going to the shore to 

 land your fish, besides there is no approachable shore within a 



