148 AN ANGLER'S BASKET. 



and let the bull dance on you. There 'was a drum-major in 

 the American Civil War who bolted from the field of battle 

 at the sound of the first gun, and remarked to his captain, 

 who arrested him and called him a coward, that he would 

 rather be a coward all his life than be a corpse fifteen 

 minutes. There is sense, but no valour, in this argument. 

 Valour is of no moment when bulls are about. Someone 

 has said that an onion is a potent leveller, being the most 

 democratic product of nature ; eaters thereof are on a level 

 of absolute equality, whether they are kitchen-maids or 

 queens. A bull is as strong as an onion, anyway, and can 

 bring the tears into your eyes quite as quickly. Take my 

 advice when next you encounter a bull ; act with promptitude 

 and alacrity. Delays are dangerous ; remember Campbell's 

 boy ; he was seated on his father's kitchen chimney flying 

 his kite, when his father in the kitchen having been told it 

 was a good thing to fire a gun up a chimney to clear it, took 

 it in his head to let fly. Young Campbell knew something 

 had happened, but do you think he stayed to enquire what 

 it was ? On the contrary, he rolled off the roof instantly 

 and went to bed, where he lay for three weeks, I have been 

 told, with his face downwards. 



