I 7 8 



THE ANGLERS SOUVENIR. 



snatches of sound. We wondered whence it came, 

 and enjoyed it the more for its mystery. 



Herbert was fishing with paste, and his float 

 began to show symptoms of liveliness, dipping with 

 the quick bites of small roach. As the evening 

 advanced the roach that he caught were bigger, 

 and the perch came on the feed, so that Piscator 

 saw his float sink with their quick vigorous bite 

 more and more often, and wished that the Gipsy 

 were with him to see what fine sport he was enjoy- 

 ing. Viator alone was dissatisfied. The pike-rod 

 had been assigned to him, and as yet he had had no 

 runs. He began to grumble. 



" It is all very well for you fellows to give mo 

 this wretched rod. You knew that I should not 

 catch anything. It is just an instance of that sel- 

 fishness which all you fellows who call yourselves 

 anglers always show. It's my belief that my float 

 frightens the fish. Where is my float ? " 



It was about two feet under water, sailing away 

 towards the lilies, and the point of the rod was 

 giving ominous twitches. 



" Strike, you duffer ! " exclaimed Herbert. 



Viator took up the rod and gave such a tre- 

 mendous strike, that if the line had not been free, 

 and run off the reel, fish and fisher would have 

 parted company. As it was he hooked him safo 

 enough, and after a nice little tussle, during which 

 Viator meekly received much good advice, and some 

 vituperation, from Herbert and Piscator, the pike 



