THE ANGLERS SOUVENIR 



175 



" Let her luff ! " shouted Piscator. We were 

 going before the wind, and going at a good pace, 

 but Viator put the helm hard over, and, hauling 

 in the sheet at the same time, he brought the 

 boat into the eye of the wind with astonishing 

 quickness, and at the very imminent risk of a 

 capsize. Then Piscator found himself in a 

 queer position. He was amidships, the piko 

 was well forward of the bows, and the line was 

 rasping against the taut luff of the foresail. He 

 rushed forward into the bows, and, holding 

 on by the jib as well as he could, he played hie 

 fish very skilfully, considering that he had two 

 motions to fight against that of the pike, which 

 poked hither and thither among the weeds, masses 

 of which hampered the line, and threatened to 

 break either it or the rod ; and the motion of the 

 boat, which refused to " lie to,'' and was kept work- 

 ing about in a series of short, uneasy tacks, now 

 heading over the line and then shooting away from 

 it, so that Piscator was kept constantly reeling in 

 or letting out line. It was important he should 

 keep a taut line, that it might cut through weeds, 

 and not "bag" under them, in which latter case 

 he would infallibly lose his fish. At last he was in 

 despair, and said, " Hang it all, I will jump over- 

 board ; it can't be more than shoulder deep, and 

 lean then play him properly." Herbert sounded 

 with an oar, and found it was more than seven 

 feet deep, so that idea was abandoned. Just then 



