SEVENTH EMPTYING. 109. 



misfortune to hook a sheep about half an hour ago, and he 

 is somewhere in the crowd ; which sheep is mine I cannot 

 well make out, but he is there, and as I would not lose that 

 silver doctor for a sovereign, I mean to land him;" and with 

 the assistance of his friend, the sheep wanted was eventually 

 run into a corner and duly unhooked. 



* * 



I dined one night many years ago with a gentleman who 

 was an active county magistrate. I met him by appoint- 

 ment in a sweet-scented lane near the Kibble. As we 

 walked on, knowing my interest in fish and fishing, he told 

 me of a case he had had before him that day in which he 

 had sent a notorious poacher to prison for taking smolts 

 from the river. When the first dish cover was removed at 

 table there appeared some little fish, brown, and crisp, and 

 appetising. The bushy grey on the brows of my host, who 

 was a bachelor, lifted themselves in astonishment and 

 then puckered up in a frown. The housekeeper was 

 summoned. " Mrs. - ," said he, " what are these fish ? " 

 " I do not know," was the answer, "they were brought to 

 the house by a labouring man, and I bought them from him." 

 " What were they like ? " " They were little silvery fish 

 with bright bars and red spots on them ! " " Take them 

 away said the Justice, " and pray never buy any more ; they 

 are worth ^"5 each according to law. I am rather surprised 

 the poor devil I sent to prison to-day did not blurt out in 

 court that he had had the honour of supplying my table." 



A frofos of fishing in badly stocked waters, a friend and I 

 years ago once bluffed an old farmer who had the reputation 

 in his village of being a terrible Turk. He was the pro- 

 prietor of a pond immediately behind his house, the pond 

 being reputed to contain no end of trout of fabulous size. 



