92 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



At first he thought it a heavy fish, and then a light one 

 as he continued to turn his reel homewards without, 

 as yet, its having given the shghtest outward noise. 

 He wound in until his float came to view, near the 

 punt, and deep down I could see first his bait and then 

 the jaw that held it. 



'Why, it's a big one,' I said. 'Be gentle with it, 

 the bait is across its mouth.' But the fish had seen 

 us and was off with his piize at such speed as spun 

 the reel with some vigour, and as, when the rush was 

 over, he continued to forge ahead, I told the doctor 

 to give him a good dig. The stroke was given and the 

 angler, having now every confidence in his tackle, 

 held his fish so tightly that it was forced to the surface, 

 where it rolled and splashed. This brought a warning 

 from me, and, almost simultaneously, another sort 

 of warning came from guns and falling shot. 



'Don't be frightened, sir,' said the keeper, 'they 

 won't be along here yet; take your time with him. 

 They've come early enough to-day.' 



But my companion was a ]ittle bit scared, and his 

 third fish, eleven pounds, received but scant ceremony. 



The keeper had foreseen there would be need for 

 either watching the shooting at a distance or moving 

 to a pond about half a mile off. The accounts he 

 gave of it decided us to go and try our luck there, 

 but, before we went, we stood behind trees and saw 

 tamely flying ducks drop one by one in answer to 

 a continuous fusillade. 



It is a kindly custom that gives the tenants on 

 an estate a day's duck shooting in the home park; 

 and there is, no doubt, much wisdom in fixing the 

 hour of starting at eleven, by which time the early 

 risers have had opportunity to forward many matters 

 on their farms. Some meet quite early at stated 

 points and walk together, make calls for others, do 

 a httle business, and inspect each other's cattle; so it 

 sometimes happens that in going forward they have got 



