Lines. 53 



went for John. John good, kind, honest John patient, 

 conscientious, of untiring energy ; courteous and consid- 

 erate alike in sunshine and storm, in time of plenty or 

 famine ; the prince of guides, whose skill at the trap, the 

 paddle, the rifle, and the rod are unequalled; who forgets 

 more overnight of the ways of the wilderness than I shall 

 ever know. A most aggravating fellow is that John. 

 We have been together for years, and many are the dif- 

 ferences of opinion which have arisen. The worst of 

 him is that he is invariably in the right, and that I am 

 always forced in consequence to eat " humble pie." 



" John, you must have let that knot upset when you 

 bent that leader to the line. You see it's entirely gone." 



" I think not, sir," came the quiet answer. 



" Well, how else could such a disgusting thing happen ? 

 You know the leader was tested not an hour ago. It was 

 wet then, and was fastened to the line immediately after- 

 wards, so the loop could not have been cracked or weak, 

 and the break must have been there." 



" Perhaps something may be wrong about the line." 



"Nonsense; the line is brand-new never through the 

 rings before. Take off that other leader from your hat 

 and put it on the line ; give me a Montreal stretcher 

 and a brown hackle for a dropper. There let me look 

 at that knot. Yes, that's all right; I don't believe they 

 will get away with that in a hurry. Perhaps we may 

 sicken some of them yet." For your true fisherman al- 

 ways regards the fish who carries away his tackle as the 

 Englishman looks on the restlessness of his uncivilized 

 subjects as a monstrous ingratitude, to be atoned for 

 by the offender if catchable ; if not, by his kindred. 



Human nature is not altogether confined to the British 

 Isles ; a small surplus still remains for the use of the 



