66 THE PIKE 



without which the mere could not be fished effectually, 

 was out of the question. We therefore padlocked it 

 again in the boat-house. By the aid of a steam launch 

 we might have cut our way through, but the game 

 anyhow was not worth the candle, especially as the 

 noise of breaking the ice and crashing along would have 

 frightened the pike for the whole day. The sun at any 

 rate enabled us to throw off our mufflers and over- 

 coats, and up we tramped along the reedy margin to 

 reconnoitre, in the hope of finding a corner of open 

 water. After a walk of some third of a mile we, forlorn 

 chance though it had been, discovered an unfrozen area 

 of perhaps forty yards long by five or six yards wide. 

 When the white on the grass which was now rapidly 

 melting had been quite obliterated there might be 

 an off chance of a fish even here; we could both 

 recall sport, along the edges of ice under similar cir- 

 cumstances. 



It would have seemed more encouraging, however, 

 had this confined space of water not been so deadly 

 calm ; but being there with such a store of baits, and 

 inspired by the angler's undying hope and enthusiasm, 

 we rigged up our Bickerdyke snap tackle with float, 

 and let the live baits work their will. My friend's had 

 hardly touched the water when it was seized by a pike, 

 which, after a little trifling, left it quite uninjured, 



