THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



J 



the pike came wallowing to the surface dead-beat, 

 with gaping jaws and glaring eyes. Viator steered 

 right up to him, and Herbert caught him by the 

 gills and hauled him on board. It was a well-fed 

 fish of eight pounds in weight, which is a good 

 weight for Ellesmere. 



Piscator and Herbert insisted upon getting a 

 small boat, and rowing round the mere again and 

 again, hoping to catch more pike. Five times the 

 rod bent with the sudden rush of a fish, but three 

 only were boated. The others broke away. Those 

 that were caught were three, four, and five pounds 

 in weight respectively. 



Viator preferred sailing about alone, although 

 the boat was rather large for him to manage. He 

 coasted the beds of white and yellow water-lilies, 

 whose large leaves heaved uneasily as the ripples 

 raised by the breeze caught them at a disadvantage. 



Presently the wind dropped, and the pike left off" 

 running. Viator was becalmed in the middle of the 

 mere, as " idle as a painted ship upon a painted 

 ocean." The others joined him, and then we all 

 bathed, diving in off the boat's side with great ease, 

 but clambering back again with infinite difficulty. 

 Then came dinner at the "Red Lion," and as the 

 landlord was accustomed to anglers' appetites, we 

 were not ashamed of ourselves. 



After dinner we went to a brewery and bought a 

 bag of grains, and, taking our seats in a punt, we 

 rowed to certain mooring-stakes which projected 



