172 Seventy Years a Master. 



rod and line have never had much attraction 

 for me. I do not wish to be thought pre- 

 judiced against a sport which I know gives so 

 much keen delight to those thousands of my 

 fellow men who have the angling instinct ; but 

 I have experienced no such love for old Isaac 

 Walton's art, and have never made any pre- 

 tence of understanding it. 



Only one day's fishing have I ever had in 

 my life. That was a great many years ago, 

 but it made such a good impression on me 

 that it lasted me the rest of my life. 



That was one fine, hot day in September. 

 A friend, who was visiting me, had on the 

 previous evening announced his desire for '* a 

 good, all-round day's sport." I thought I 

 could accommodate him, and at least was 

 determined to try. 



We turned out at six o'clock next morning, 

 and went cub-hunting. We had a very good 

 morning, and came home hungry to breakfast. 

 Afterwards I said : '' Now we will go out and 

 kill a few brace of birds," which we did, 

 having the luck to knock down six and a half 



