254 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



and said, "Lay thee down and dee, Johnson; lay thee 

 down and dee." ' 



There are exceptions to every rule, and even Tony's 

 turn came to be surprised. The sun had set hastily 

 behind a cloud that presently rose and darkened 

 the high and oily running waves, and thinking to 

 entice a fish or two on the journey home, I took off 

 the worm and replaced it with a Silver Natural Spin, 

 and then held it in the water so that Tony could see 

 its frightened-lish-like spin. Wonderful to relate, he 

 asked to have it in his hand, where he turned it over 

 many times while he seemingly racked his brain in 

 vain for memories of its counterpart. He dropped it 

 in the water and watched it spin again until the 

 freeing of the winch gave line, and even after that he 

 watched the place where he thought the lure was 

 spinning. Still cogitating, his eyes came to the rod 

 as if he momentarily expected it to bend, and that he 

 might know quickly the size of the coming fish, he 

 bent his ear to catch what the winch would say. His 

 expectant attitude worked on me until I found myself 

 gripping my Httle rod as if I feared its loss, and, when 

 a tug came, I gave such a vigorous strike as would have 

 broken it had I not been so holding the line, as is my 

 habit, that it might slip through my fingers at such 

 a pull. A fish struck as this one had been could have 

 no doubt about its being attached to trouble, and he 

 commenced at once in the wildest way to try to free 

 himself, and a grand fight he made to do it, but his first 

 great rush that found me less capable through having 

 acted so foolishly failed, and after that his chances 

 lessened with each run until, out cf breath, he came 

 with a roll and a flopping of his tail to be gaffed. 

 Tony unhooked the fish, the largest we caught while 

 with him, and then availed himself of the oppor- 

 tunity of inspecting the bait again, and, while tickling 

 his crown, he gave a smile that said 'Of course,' and 

 then there was another smile and a smacking of his 



