1 62 



THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



comfortably just outside the rushes. While we were 

 debating what we should do, Herbert's float moved 

 away through the dancing ripples with a most 

 decisive bite. He struck, and the carp, firmly 

 hooked, dashed out towards the centre of the pool, 

 taking out line like a salmon, and making the 

 splendid rod bend and spring delightfully. After 

 taking out fully fifty yards of line, he allowed 

 himself to be turned, and came zigzagging back 

 with sullen resistance, until he was close into the 

 rushes, and then he proceeded to dash backwards 

 and forwards, catching up both our lines, which 

 were still in the water, and getting them into a 

 pretty tangle. Herbert played him very steadily, 

 though he was much excited, and at last he led 

 him up a sort of drain, and we closed in behind 

 him and lifted him out a splendid fish of six 

 pounds in weight. Leaving Herbert to re-bait, we 

 rushed about seeking some means of getting at the 

 pool. Not far off was a small cottage, which, upon 

 examination, we found to be uninhabited. The 

 garden presented a sad appearance, currant and 

 gooseberry bushes running wild, and the beds over- 

 grown with weeds. The door of the cottage was 

 open, and we conceived and put into execution a 

 capital idea. We took the door off its hinges, and 

 collected a quantity of loose bricks. Transporting 

 these to the pool, we speedily constructed a plat- 

 form on which there was just room for the three of 

 us to stand. 



