inconsequential items as a conventional matter wholly ; and now having 

 rod and line and bait I slip out at the rear of my house and slink around 

 out of sight that no one see my implements of the chase (the aqueous 

 chase), and sidle toward the river. 



I consider myself adroit to the point of genius in the matter of bait. 

 I think I ought to say that. Brains will tell even in the matter of going 

 fishing. While supposedly adroit fishermen keep every sort of fly and 

 deception for beguiling wary fish, I, believing that I have not been 

 weighted down with intellectuality for naught, sagaciously (I have under- 

 scored that word, not through conceit, but through honest speaking), 

 take for my bait mutton. This I do because mutton is so ambiguous, 

 so versatile. When I have mutton (in my pocket tied up daintily as a 

 man will tie things up, in a piece of newspaper, believing that even 

 dead sheep should have culture opportunities), I can boldly cast for all 

 sorts of fish inhabiting lake or stream. For certain sturdy, aged, self- 

 reliant fish, male fish, 

 I bait with mutton and * 

 can call it ram. This 

 bait brings experience 

 and pugilistic propen- 

 sionstothehook. When 

 I wish to catch young 

 and tender fish I retain the same bait on my hook ( I never change bait 

 while it can remain on the hook. I think changing bait a breach of 

 etiquette to the bait). While bait lasts it stays on my hook. I am 

 courteous in all details of life. So here, I retain the bait, but speak in 

 bleating tones and call it lamb. When I wish to approach bachelor fish 

 with years of conquest and satiety on them I call the bait ewe. When 

 I appeal to the gentler sex among the fish I call the bait wether. When 

 I angle for plebeian fish I state with democratic candor, "This is mut- 

 ton." The result is practical all the same. I have equal success with 

 the varied fish and varied ages, and I think you must see that I am not 

 nagged by the occult study of what bait to use. And I am successful 

 as success goes with me in a heterogenous fashion, and I have the 

 feeling that in so doing I have exhibited a manly individuality even in 

 baiting my hook. 



So with my versatile bait I set out. One rod and line suffice. I 

 always have a cork because I like to see it bob. Things seen are 

 mightier than things felt (quoted in part from some poet), and I enjoy 



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