86 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



But your experience was cheaply bought. 

 Gambling is better left to experts." 



" Dear, cautious little Devonshire," said Mrs 

 Jack. " But, there, you men get back to your 

 fishing now, and we'll pack up to save your time, 

 unless you are content to leave Jack an easy 

 first." 



The hint was taken and I was soon back to my 

 fishing where five pollards form a willowy crescent, 

 and make the water look dark and deep, as it was 

 there my hopes of fish were centred. Under the 

 aged senior of the five, that struggles on a mere 

 skeleton of skin and crust, my life's partner, after a 

 while, came and sat, working at some trifle and 

 chatting to me ; and so, no doubt, the afternoon 

 would have passed had we been the sole occupants 

 of the meadow, but our work was interfered with 

 by a visit that ended in two ladies walking off 

 leaving me baiting a hook for Mrs Ted, who con- 

 fided to me the highly important news : " Ted is a 

 regular bear at times." 



Had a fish resulted from each baiting our fishing 

 would have been a great success, but only two had 

 come to bank when a dark sultriness, followed by 

 big drops of rain, caused each lady to seek the 

 partner whose chief duty is her protection. Mine 

 was with me quickly, and, after much persuasion, 

 she stepped inside the hollow trunk against which 

 she had sat earlier in the afternoon, and, when 

 there, I tucked her in, and turned her collar up 

 until nothing below her nose was visible, so I made 

 a peck at that and said : "If you could only see 

 how pretty you look in that rustic shell you would 

 never want to come out while anyone was looking 



