214 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



the poetry of angling, but we have some love for its 

 prose and in that box of rods beside fly-rods of all 

 lengths there are rods for pike and, somewhere, two 

 short and stubborn ones for sea-fishing. We have 

 come for sport and are prepared to get it from the 

 sea should rivers fail. Please, fly-fishers, bear with 

 me when pollack fishing comes into my writings. 

 It may be as painful to you as the bull-pup hanging 

 to his nose was to the boy ; even he had some satis- 

 faction in being told that it would be the making of 

 the pup. So cheer up, all of us. 



Be where you may, next morning comes, and, 

 with it, thanks to sleep, unclouded brains and vigour. 

 We were as fresh as daisies when I asked the maid 

 if Mr Sheridan, the landlord, was yet visible, and as 

 the reply told us that he was probably still in bed we 

 walked down to the sea, there to find huge Atlantic 

 waves tumbling in that would prevent the launching 

 of a boat. We sat and threw pebbles to while away 

 the time till breakfast or until the host should appear 

 and we could arrange with him how best to use our 

 day or what of it was left when he should please to 

 wake. 



"You seem to me, dad," said Harry, " to manage 

 your sleep well ; you drop off at will and wake to 

 order like a kiddie. Perhaps the landlord is not so 

 gifted and while you could soon teach him to wake 

 at the proper time there is a probability that he 

 would prefer to learn how to fall asleep as you do, 

 and, indeed, so should I." 



"That, my boy, is due to a sweet memory of a 

 sweet voice only one other like it and it used to 

 say: ' Phillie, dear, do'ee sleep,' and I would say, 

 to please her : * I'se s'eeping, mother,' and the eyelids 



