78 FORTUNATE WADING. 



chase ; but in the end I descried his bill amongst the 

 sedges, where he had poked it up to take a little breath. 

 Making a dexterous snatch, I seized him underneath by 

 the legs, — Chinese fashion, with the exception of the 

 pumpkin, — and drew him loud quacking to the bank. 

 When landed I squeezed my clothes a little, according 

 to order ; but I do not believe that I benefitted my chil- 

 blains. 



At a rather more advanced period of my life I used to 

 make long fishing excursions, generally with prosperous, 

 but occasionally with disastrous results. I remember well, 

 when a pair of bait-hooks was to me a valuable concern, 

 I hooked two large black-looking trouts in a deep pool 

 at the same time. As I had to pull them several feet 

 upwards against the pressure of the stream, my line gave 

 way, and left me j>roprietor of a small fragment only. 

 For some time I looked alternately at my widowed rod 

 and my departed fish ; which last were coursing it round 

 and round the pool, pulling in opposite directions, like 

 coupled dogs of dissenting opinions : Durum — sed levius 

 fit patientia. So I sat down with somewhat of a rueful 

 countenance, and began to spin with my fingers some 

 horse-hair which I had pulled that morning, at the risk 

 of my life, from the grey colt's tail. This being done in 

 my own peculiar manner, and my only remaining hook 

 being tied on with one of the aforesaid hairs, I continued 

 to follow my sport down the stream for about half a 

 mile. After the lapse of a considerable time, I had occa- 

 sion to cross bare-legged from one bank to the other. 

 In my transit through the current, I found something 

 like a sharp instrument cutting the calves of my legs. 



