32 AN ANGLER'S LINES. 



surface, where I could see it travelling at a 

 rapid pace towards the punt. I reeled in, 

 preparatory to the strike, but the fish was 

 moving faster than I could revolve the handle, 

 and, when I struck, a certain slackness resulted 

 in a broken line. Then ensued a variation of 

 hunt the slipper. Very cautiously I worked 

 the punt to where the float was bobbing up 

 and down, but as I stretched out with the gaff, 

 down it would go, to reappear some distance 

 away. This performance was repeated for 

 some time, much to my companion's amusement 

 and (my disgust, until at length, in anything 

 but the sweetest of tempers, I relinquished the 

 profitless chase. A change to deeper water 

 proved a change for the worse, for there we 

 waited for runs that never came, so I settled 

 down to the oars again. As I rowed, a white 

 object on the water attracted my notice, and 

 proved to be my erstwhile float. Fully ex- 

 pecting a repetition of its previous behaviour, 

 I approached as quietly as possible, but, to my 

 surprise, it remained without movement, and 



