EELS AND LAMPERNEH. 267 



I attained an island wliicli, by the bougli of one 

 of the oak trees upon it^ by climbing, again 

 afforded me a descent to a lesser island, on 

 the other side of which, from the mainland, he 

 was fishing. I have since seen many a gentle 

 face suddenly hurt or painfully astonished by the 

 rude incidents of life, but I never saw the repose 

 of an elderly figure so completely broken up as it 

 was on this occasion, when the first heavy stone 

 flung by me from my previously charged j^ocket 

 knocked over his float and dashed the water into 

 his face. Without any apparent loss of temper, 

 this old man called out to me to desist. The 

 only reply which this evoked from me was stone 

 after stone into the water in the vicinity of his 

 float, driving all fish away, and rendering piscatory 

 or contemplative success impossible. ^^ Are you 

 going to continue this annoyance, my little man?" 

 he mildly inquired. ^^ Yes," I replied, '^you old 

 interloper, if you continue your tresjDass upon our 

 water ; " and then followed stone after stone, to 

 prove my obdurate resolution. 



On this, after regarding me attentively, and 

 making a sort of plaintive chuckle as if of pity, 

 the old gentleman drew his line from the water. 



