76 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



fifty yards away, and lay claim to having hit it. I 

 have seen him walk a field and not raise his gun 

 when the other shooters have been busy. He told 

 me he would sooner walk all day and not discharge 

 his gun than fire a shot that he could not hope to 

 kill clean with. There is nothing new in Thomas 

 Wilson's theories, but it is a pleasure to see them 

 put into practice in such thorough fashion as his. 



"Have you caught the big trout yet?" was his 

 address to me as he shook my hand after his direc- 

 tions for the horse's care had been given. " No," 

 I said, "and I have given up all hope of ever 

 doing so." 



His look at me was so searchingly professional 

 that I put out my tongue and offered him my wrist. 

 You won't find the cause of his despair on his 

 tongue nor in his wrist, Tom," said George; "it's 

 in the house. Come in and I'll show you." 



We found the ladies in the dairy weighing the 

 fish, and the result proved the prophet's prophecy 

 so nearly correct that it only wanted two ounces 

 more to fulfil it. Wilson looked sceptical when told 

 who had made the capture and that no aid had been 

 given nor offered. Nell noticed this and asked : 

 " Do you think it so very wonderful, Mr Wilson?" 



"Your having caught the fish, Mrs Geen, does 

 not in the least surprise me. I was only wondering 

 how you kept your nerve with these two men 

 around." 



" I had something to do with that," said our 

 hostess. " I held on to George's coat-tails or I 

 really believe he'd have gone in." 



" With little risk, I expect ; he could walk most 

 depths here I should think. Well, never mind 



