SMALL SHOT 215 



many pertaining to things inanimate and animate. 

 Of the first class are kinking lines, ill- working reels, 

 non-exploding caps and primers, sticking shells, 

 un-sticking wads, and no end of such perverse 

 belongings to the angler's and gminer's outfit, as 

 well as those which come in his way, as twigs, logs, 

 bogs, cold water under foot and pouring from over 

 head, to switch, tangle, trip, bemire, and soak him. 

 Of animate things, how will all the insects of the 

 air and earth combine to torture him, and how will 

 the very objects of his pursuit forsake all the laws 

 and rules laid down by nature and custom, and 

 thwart his skillfulest endeavors to possess them. 



But all these are nothing to the vexation and 

 sorrow wrought unto his soul by his brother man. 

 There are those counted honest in ordinary affairs 

 of life who will poach in close times and rob their 

 honester fellows of that which enriches not them 

 and makes these others poor indeed — in the loss 

 of time and satisfaction of reasonable desires. 

 And there are also law-makers who put pig's heads 

 on their shoulders when they come to making 

 laws for the protection of fish and game, though 

 they bear the levelest of brains when matters of 

 valuation and taxation are concerned. 



Yet these are vexations of the spirit which one 

 happy day of sport may lift, as north wind and 

 sunshine the fog from the landscape. But when he, 

 who hUs not been by his favorite stream since the 



