Repairs. 239 



SCENE. Trout- stream. 



ANGLER, meeting a very melancholy-looking individual with the frag- 

 ments of a trout-rod in his hands; NOVICE, equipped for fishing, but 

 with a broken rod. Time, 8 A.M. 



ANGLER. Good-morning, sir ; what luck ? 



NOVICE. The trout are rising fairly well; I have caught 

 a few nice ones. But I have just had the misfortune to 

 break my middle joint about a foot below the smaller 

 end. I have come a long distance to enjoy a couple of 

 days' fishing, and my opportunities are few ; and as I 

 have no spare piece to take its place, I am afraid my fish- 

 ing is at an end unless I take to bait, and for that I have 

 little taste. So I suppose I may say I have had poor 

 luck. 



ANGLER. How did it happen ? 



NOVICE. It may be I was using too long a line for the 

 distance I wished to cover. I saw a nice-looking spot, 

 and when I cast, my flies reached the water considerably 

 beyond it. Instead of shortening my line, I undertook 

 to draw my flies across the spot ; and when my rod was 

 nearly upright, a nice fish struck my drop-fly, and you 

 see the result. I am but a beginner, having fished with 

 the fly but a few times before, and am self-taught ; I 

 suppose I must expect to make mistakes, but it is none 

 the less provoking to lose all the sport which I had an- 

 ticipated with so much pleasure. 



ANGLER. Many a good rod is broken in that way. 

 Let me see the break. Why, this is not so bad. Why 

 don't you splice it ? 



NOVICE. I don't know how. 



ANGLER. Have you silk, wax, and a file in your fly- 

 book? 



