26G FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



liavG felt when impaling' on his barbed liook a 

 livln^^, writliing, and .sciuciddng frog* ! 



1 Ills a(]dr(\ss, In wliat, wlicn tlio ^^ young licart 

 was liot and restless," seemed to nie to be delivorcd 

 in a cabn, (jouteniptuous manner, made me at once 

 consider tlie chances of personal collision. In 

 strength he could master me, no doubt, unless 

 by some cunning and unexpected blow I could 

 reduce liis power to a more even footing witli 

 mine, or make liim, by breaking his spectacles, 

 pay a penalty for the infraction of the water 

 right. Scanning his person narrowly, from the 

 protuberance of liis fob beneath his waistcoat, 

 and tlie dangling of a cliain and several large 

 seals, I felt convinced tliere was a large watch 

 tliere with its glass face outermost; so to assure 

 myself of being able to obtain damages, I con- 

 templated taking u}) a stone and assailing tlic 

 exact spot where I thought the watch must be ; 

 but, on second tliouglits, I deemed tliat the butt 

 of his rod being in dangerous proximity to my 

 shoulders. It would ])e better to abandon the 

 idea of '^personal" attack, and cast about for a 

 more advantageous site for active aggression. 



Retracing my steps over Little Connnon Bridge, 



