28 WITH A NINE-FOOT 



exercise all the craftiness and ingenuity 

 he possessed so that he might come 

 home with the heavier bag. At that 

 moment Amos approached, and, after 

 giving me a quick, searching glance, sat 

 down on a mossy stone and proceeded 

 to empty his pockets. These were large 

 and useful, capable of carrying either a 

 hare or a jack-plane with equal ease. 

 One by one the trout were laid out 

 on the grass, a shining heap of glis- 

 tening beauties, touched here and there 

 with spots of brightest crimson. When 

 he had finished counting, and had said 

 " thirty-four," at the same time looking 

 at me in an inquiring way as if to read 

 my thoughts, I guessed that I was right. 

 He had employed some means other 

 than those which he had recommended 

 me to use, and, with nothing more than 

 an expression of satisfaction at the re- 

 sult of his day's sport, he proceeded to 

 his rod. It had been left some distance 



