A FISH-DKIVE. 163 



high into the air, spluttering and squattering and 

 trying to work their way up the bamboo paling 

 that hemmed them in ; large fish, with their broad 

 backs surging high out of the water, dashed vainly 

 round the fatal enclosure. 



The women scooped wildly in every direction, 

 missing the fish and banging one another, and 

 screaming wildly the while with expectation and 

 annoyance, excitement and despair. Then, amid 

 cheers from the throngs of men on the boats which 

 surrounded the enclosure, one woman got a fine seven- 

 pound fish in her net. " What am I to do with it ? " 

 she screamed, as she held the fish high above the 

 water. The roar of contradictory instructions she 

 received from the boats, and the vain efforts of her 

 friends to assist her efforts which she insisted to be 

 meant to rob her of her prize so confused her that, 

 when another fish leapt up close beside she scooped 

 at it wildly with her net, and of course released the 

 fish she already had. At this she all but wept, and 

 was about to retire to one side to compose her 

 shattered nerves when luckily another fish was 

 caught, and she immediately dashed forward to 

 claim it as the one she had released. 



Suddenly a splendid forty -pound fish launched 

 itself out of the water, fair between the arms of a 

 buxom dame. She gave a piercing yell of agony, 

 but by some reflex action of the mind flung botn 

 arms round it and clasped it to her breast. When 

 she realised what she had done, she screamed again 

 with pure fright ; but the power failed her to open 

 her arms and let it go. The heavy massive body of 



