DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 109 



" But I say, old man, supposing you don't turn 

 up, what a fix I shall be in with Mr Editor ! " 



"And supposing," said I, "you take the lot and, 

 before I turn up, you have sustained your usual loss 

 through one of the many thousands of little accidents 

 that are more likely to happen to you, when in charge 

 of baits, than to any other man I know. Where 

 will your Mr Editor be then? You'll have just one 

 half, my boy, and I wish you luck enough to get 

 them safely to the waterside." 



My friend, while being one of the most unselfish 

 of fishing comrades, is, perhaps owing to his artistic 

 temperament, so forgetful as to be quite unsafe to 

 be in charge of any portion of the necessary impedi- 

 menta. He is sure to do something quite early in 

 the day to separate himself from what he will most 

 need ; if it be baits he will probably leave them 

 behind, perhaps under the porter's tap, or, it may 

 be, he will put them in the train and leave himself 

 behind. I have known him, when on the river, 

 discover that his rods were a mile away. 



When we were at A a farmer's son accom- 

 panied us from the farm to show us where to fish. I 

 am pretty smart at starting when once by the river- 

 side but it is not so with my friend ; he will help to 

 start you if you will let him and, if not, he will pre- 

 tend he is very busy preparing, or will have some- 

 thing important to ask the keeper. You have to 

 start first if there is to be a start. On this occasion 

 he talked to the farmer's son until I had hooked a 

 fish ; when he had gaffed it, and I urged him to 

 put together, he replied: "Let me see you catch 

 another first." After he had gaffed a second he 

 said : " I think I will begin, Geen," but he did not 



