242 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



it dashed down amongst, strengthen again Pat's 

 weakening belief that our lines would not last. The 

 rod was bent to a dangerous bow with the fisher's 

 effort, but a turn had to be called for, which the boat- 

 man cleverly executed by bringing his boat back over 

 the spot, and to my great relief the fish, in answer 

 to the strain in this opposite direction, cleared the 

 weeds, and then fought gallantly before it rolled upon 

 its side and was brought to gaff. 



'It'll be weighing t\^dnty pounds I'd be thinking,' 

 was the staggered Pat's opinion. Its weight was 

 between sixteen and seventeen. 



'Shure thin it's meself that has a finer line I'll 

 be for trying.' 



He tried a finer line, but as the sun was now high 

 above us, it helped so little that he exclaimed, 'By 

 the powers, it's meself that's disremimbering that the 

 fish won't take the eel in the full light of day. I'll be 

 putting it by until avening. ShaU I be trying a red 

 rubber, yer honours?' 



He tried one, but it made no difference, so I pro- 

 posed that I should put a long length of wire next 

 to the bait so that the fish might not see that his 

 glaring line was connected with it. Pie consented, 

 but not readily, and could he have analysed his feel- 

 ings he would, I believe, have found a shadowy hope 

 that it would not answer. It did, but still he was at 

 a disadvantage, and did not get half so many fish 

 nor nearly such large ones as Harry got. 



Pat, on being asked what drink we should bring 

 for him, had said 'Porter,' so we had brought three 

 bottles with us. His failure to keep up with his 

 opponent made him so thirsty that he opened one 

 of them, popped the fizzing hole into liis mouth and 

 nearly choked himself. He sought consolation in 

 a potato from the crock. The tuber burst with little 

 pressure, and the steam that came from it showed it to 

 be very hot, but he managed to eat it, although the 



