DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 2or 



winds, that brought clouds which cast sweeping 

 shadows across the sea, breathed upon the chffs, and 

 then rose hastily to make room for others that followed 

 in their wake? It was where the blue sky lowered to 

 meet the deeper blue and where white clouds rose 

 to make the most of both that my eyes would go to 

 see whence the shadows came, and then follow them 

 until they disappeared and my thoughts went with 

 them. 'Dad, I think you had a nibble' was what 

 brought them back. *I did not feel it' was all I could 

 rouse myself to say, but a more complete awakening 

 came when the lad's winch noisily proclaimed a fish 

 was on. and then, as if to verify the doubted nibble, 

 I got a tug and tussle that stirred the hunting instinct. 



My fish weighed eleven pounds ; what weight 

 Harry's was we can only guess, but it was a big one, 

 no doubt, as its away-back and downward rush did 

 not cease until it was home amongst the weeds, from 

 which all efforts to move it failed. 



*I believe it was the biggest I ever hooked V was 

 what Harry said, and this was pardonable, as lost 

 fish are always big ones. I handed him my rod to 

 use while I rigged out his afresh, but, before I had 

 finished, he was strugghng with a fish bigger than 

 the last — so he thought; this also was lost among 

 the weeds. Again we changed rods that I might 

 replace the loss, and before I had accomplished 

 this, he was grimly tussling with another large one 

 that bent his rod to a threatening angle, and the line 

 spoke as lines do when distressed by a strain in rapid 

 water; but Harry heeded not, as he determined if 

 break there was to be, it should come before the 

 weeds were reached. We got his prize safely in, and 

 its weight of fifteen pounds gave back lost faith to the 

 fisher and the boatmen, who probably had beeii 

 wishing they had brought their lines. For some time 

 after this our success was uniform with fish of moderate 

 size, but, as it neared the time for lunch, we had some 



