66 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



success that it could scarcely have been greater had 

 I been trying a second cast over a salmon that 

 had been rested after a rise. Fancy the ridiculous- 

 ness of the scene ! Here was a loving wife sitting 

 in judgment on her husband's capabilities in the 

 art of angling by his success or failure to catch a 

 minnow. The husband was at full length amongst 

 the high grass with only so much of the arm, that 

 held the two joints of a rod, hanging out over 

 the high bank as might be mistaken for a boy's. 

 My crawling to this position was much approved 

 and elicited : " Well stalked, Phil." 



The impaled bead of paste was seized directly 

 it reached the water and a fish was hooked ; but 

 to get him on the bank -the line being long and 

 the rod short a good round swing of my arm was 

 necessary. Up it came and, as I rolled over to 

 follow my swinging arm, I saw the fish continue its 

 flight much beyond the measure of my snare, so 

 I was quickly up and searching the spot where it 

 had dropped. Nell helped and spoke kind words 

 of commiseration but we did not find the treasure. 

 After that we were partners again ; she stood 

 expectant and each time I sang out, as I rolled 

 over, " Here he comes," she watched the flight and 

 captured the minnow. 



It was now my turn to wait on a fisher who, full 

 of expectation that the bold biting perch would 

 be waiting her coming, grew quickly astonished at 

 her float's going round and round the eddy with- 

 out a sign of interference. To make sure the 

 minnow I had put on the hook had not escaped she 

 lifted her rod until he came to view, and then the 

 float went on its journeying again until, with patience 



