DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 83 



youth from day to day even in my doctor, who can 

 hide behind a stohd face the keenest pangs of sjonpathy 

 and yet gets almost childish in his anxiety for the 

 three dozen dace that are perfectly happy in my bath, 

 where their forms, outlined against the white enamel 

 sides, give promise of much strong hauling of the float. 



The glorious uncertainty of the age and size that 

 the voracious pike, which eats up all else, may live 

 to grow to lends fascination to the search for a forty- 

 pounder. I know of one that weighed thirty-eight, 

 but that has been already caught and stuffed, not 

 by the doctor nor myself; it's a bigger one we are 

 after, and we have the permit to fish where it is most 

 likely to be found. Who would not be excited and go 

 up two steps at a time to see if the shoal of dace we 

 are to go armed with are faring well? We got quite 

 skittish and very young, and the attentions we required 

 during the preparations and for the start equalled, if 

 they did not exceed, those demanded by a wedchng 

 morning, and the doctor was so much affected that his 

 wife assured me she would be very thankful when 

 he was really off. We were going, at least we thought 

 we were, when a lady patient sent for the doctor and, 

 no doubt, told him she would die if, etc., etc., so 

 our going was delayed until the next afternoon, and 

 we missed 'a tide' that might have led us on to 



that forty-pounder ; instead of which Well ! 



I will not anticipate. 



I never feel sure of the doctor until the train has 

 started. He was at the station in good time, but 

 I got a fright even then, for when I first caught sight 

 of him he was emerging from the telegraph office, 

 but, as I learnt afterwards, it was to supplement his 

 telegram of the day before, to the keeper, which said, 

 'Cannot come to-day,' with another saying, 'Coming 

 down this afternoon.' 



The man v/ho met us and took possession of our 

 precious bait had a most doleful face, and well he 



