184 The Mwrral. Chapt. xiv. 



" sundry ducks. At first be was no more believed in than tbe 

 " great sea-snake, which encloses at least half the world in his folds. 

 " But after tbe lapse of a few days tbe keeper came to the private 

 "ear of my friend, and told him thai a mortal large pike was basking 

 " amongst some weeds and could be seen plainly. ' You are sure to 

 " ' catch 'im, Sir.' He was rewarded for this intelligence and exhorted 

 " to keep the important secret from the other visitors at the mansion. 



" When piscator, cunning fellow ! thought that all were out of tbe 

 " way, employed in hunting, shooting, or some other occupation, 

 "he and John Barnes, the keeper, glided down secretly to tbe 

 " awful spot, and they there discovered the semblance of a fish so 

 " enormous that it was doubted if anything less than a small rope 

 " could bold him. Tbe sportsman was astounded ; the keeper was not, 

 " for the said awful animal was nothing more than a large painted 

 " piece of wood, carved deftly by himself into the shape of a pike, 

 "painted according to order, and stuck in the natural position by 

 " means of a vertical prop, which could not be discovered amongst the 

 " weeds. It was too bad, really a great deal too bad ; but tolerably 

 " ingenious and beautifully deceptive. The gentleman approached 

 " with tact and caution, and the eyes of the fish glared upon him; as 

 " well they might, for they were large and dazzling, being made of 

 " glass and originally designed to be inserted in a great horned owl, 

 " which the keeper had stuffed. 



" ' What a prodigious fish, John ! ' 



" ' Very prodigious indeed, Sir.' 



" ' What eyes he has ! ' 



" ' So he has, Sir.' 



" ' I'll try him with a roach. There, it went in beautifully, but be 

 " ' did not move.' 



" ' No ! he won't take it nohow. Give him a frog ; he seems a 

 " 'difficult fish.' Piscator did tender him a very lively one in vain 

 " in short, be offered him every bait be could possibly think of, runniiiLT 

 " through all tbe devices and temptations be »:is muster of. Cautious 

 " in bis approaches, thai the supposed tish might not see him, he 

 " always advanced to make his east upon his knees, to the no small 

 "amusement of his friends who were looking at him with a telescope 

 "from a window of the mansion. Well, thus he spent the whole 

 " evening, waiting, however, at times, for a cloud to intercept the sun- 

 " beams, and a breath of air to ruffle the surface of the lake. When 

 " these came he would set to work with renovated hopes, till at last. 

 '• tired and discomfited, he bent his steps homewards. On his arrival 

 " there, he was accosted on the very threshold by some of the guests. 



