174 Seventy Years a Master. 



I have been asleep like an old hen in the sun, 

 and had the luck to wake up just in the nick 

 of time ! " 



Looking out into the middle of the river, 

 there, for certain, was my float, bobbing about. 

 I stood up, all the instincts of an accomplished 

 angler at last alive within me. With all my 

 strength I gave a great haul, and out came a 

 roach about four inches in length, and up he 

 went into the tree at the back of me, and fish 

 and line lodged there. 



A small boy was passing. ^' My lad," said 

 I, ** You see that great fish up the tree. Climb 

 up and get it, and I'll give you sixpence." 



The lad knew me well, and grinned most 

 provokingly upon seeing me with a fishing rod, 

 and divining just what had happened. But 

 he climbed the tree. Before he had earned his 

 sixpence my friend returned. 



" What luck, George ? " he enquired. 



"Oh," I replied, as nonchalantly as 

 possible, '' I have caught a fish." 



*' Good. Where is it ? " he exclaimed. 



