DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 63 



thought of fishing, I stretched myself upon the 

 grass in such a way that my arms came to the wall, 

 and, with my chin on them, I peered into the clear 

 depth below, to find the only apparent movement 

 on the gravel was caused by fleeting shadows of 

 travelling flecks of foam. But my farewell peep, 

 intended for the shadows, showed a scurrying host 

 of minnows that were being snapped at by perch, 

 which could be plainly seen mouthing the dainty 

 tit-bits. Perch are a prize for the table, so I was 

 soon wide awake and anxious for their capture. I 

 crept away, made a paste of bread and put the 

 tiniest bit upon the point of my smallest hook and, 

 after much time and several disappointments, caused 

 by their dropping off the hook, secured three 

 minnows. 



There was great excitement as the wife cautiously 

 drew near to drop a floated line, with a minnow on 

 the hook, at the spot where I had seen the perch. 

 Before the float had answered to the shot it glided 

 off and down, and the fisher, surprised by this, did 

 not strike and thus lost a chance and her minnow. 

 At the next effort, unnerved by her failure, she 

 thought the float too long in cocking, struck, and 

 lost a second minnow. Still determined she answered 

 my caution with : 



" Don't fidget, please ; anyone would have been 

 taken in as I was. I am sure to have him this 

 time." 



I hope the third and last minnow was not hurt 

 more than was necessary through my anxiety to 

 hook it securely, for it was pained in vain if pained 

 at all ; the lady caught her hook in a flowering weed 

 that grew from the wall down near the water and, 



