POLLACK AND PILCHARDS 109 



carelessly left on the seat. Great business ensued, 

 which, however, would have been more appro- 

 priate in one of those rollicking old farces at the 

 Vaudeville of other days. For about ten minutes 

 the conger was slipping about the bottom of the 

 boat in unrestrained enjoyment of life. Mean- 

 while George and I were not idle, for he belaboured 

 my shins with the handle of the gaff, and I hit 

 him once on the elbow and twice in the stomach 

 with a bludgeon specially designed for pacifying 

 conger. The last was a very palpable hit and 

 fortunately roused George to great deeds, for his 

 next blow, planted with chance accuracy, laid the 

 conger out. We were then able to light the lamp 

 and give the conger that attention which its recent 

 conduct demanded. As I rubbed my smarting 

 ankles, it was borne home to me that rod-fishing 

 for conger in the dark is a pastime for either 

 knights in armour or fools. 



To-night, therefore, we are using lines. The 

 hooks being baited with a slab of squid, and a 

 tempting little tentacle being stuck on the 

 point of each, we noiselessly drop the leads 

 over either side, let them run quietly out till 

 they bump the rocks, then pull in about a 

 fathom of line. This has the desired effect of 

 letting the baited hooks lie motionless, with just 

 enough slack to leave them unmoved by the 

 slight up and down motion of the boat. Each 



