DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 133 



This was put together and the hooks baited and 

 lowered until the ground was felt, and then hfted 

 a foot to keep clear of weeds, when it was handed over 

 to the nervous grip of a lady, who handled it, at first, 

 as if there were danger of its shooting something. 

 The first tug soon came, and vnth it a cr^^ 'Oh ! there's 

 a monster pulling at it. What shall I do? Take the 

 rod, some one.' 



The other lady was next equipped, and then four 

 of the men, and business was soon in full swing, with 

 the baiters fully occupied. 



Who that has long been a fisher has not had a day 

 of sport that lives in his memory as a time when 

 fish fed as if they had been subjected to famine fare 

 for weeks? Nothing daunts them when in this mood, 

 and in response to it the angler becomes as hurried in 

 his movements as the fish; he stays not to trim his 

 bait, but casts it out as long as a shred of food is left 

 upon the hook and ensnares another waiting victim. 

 Multiply the success of a fisher at such a time by six, 

 three rods on each side of the boat; you will thus get 

 some idea of the bustle that there was on board. Cries 

 of 'Look, look,' 'Oh ! bother,' 'Another bait, please,' 

 went on unceasingly. Any fear of monotony was dis- 

 missed by the occasional appearance of a pollack or 

 by the sight of three pretty bream on one rod, tugging 

 in different directions, being gradually hauled from 

 their home, and, in desperate hope, ejecting from their 

 mouths the food which had brought such strange 

 restraint on hberty.^ 



The ladies were long in getting tired, and it was 

 not till late in the afternoon that they left us, l-y 

 the Shag's dinghy, to see the children and to get 

 some tea. We kept busily at it until some of us, too, 

 were gro\Ying tired, and almost welcomed the announce- 

 ment that the tide was changing and that our fun 

 must end. 



The captain and the mate had spoken to me more 



