WINTER TALKS ON SUMMER PASTIMES. 67 



the morning, give him due notice of his purpose, and cut 

 his line before his eyes.' I offered to accompany him, but 

 he declined my services and proceeded alone to perform his 

 righteous office. I watched him on his mission, observed 

 him talking to the poacher, and saw him stoop down at the 

 edge of the water, as if to cut the line. A tussle followed, 

 and in less than a minute 'something dropped' in the water, 

 and it wasn't Dick. The issue was the capture of the set- 

 line; and, after due explanations, apologies, and sundry 

 soothing appliances, a treaty of peace was signed, Dick was 

 fonriven, and the poacher promised 'never to do so no 

 more. ' ; * 



"Was that the season I met you fishing under water?" 



" 'No more o' that, Hal, an* you love me.' " 



"Why not? It was certainly nothing to your discredit, 

 and I have had a many hearty laugh since, at the remem- 

 brance of it." 



"Tell us about it, D." 



"Well, it was something like this: I was wading and 

 casting down the North Branch with results entirely satis- 

 factory, when I reached the borders of. a rather deep pool, 

 into which the waters swept with a velocity which rendered 

 it extremely difficult for me to keep my footing. Anxious 

 to reach a shaded spot in the pool, which required a long 

 cast, I lifted myself up upon a slippery boulder to the more 

 certainly reach my objective point. I succeeded, as I ex- 

 pected, in raising a large fish, but in striking, my feet slipped 

 from under me, and I glided into the flood as cleanly and as 

 arrow-like as a saw log dips into the water below the chute. 

 I was not aware that anyone was in the neighborhood, until 

 I heard a roar of laughter as I emerged from my bath to 

 swim ashore. That's the whole story; I saw nothing laugh-' 

 able iii the adventure then, although I have often since 

 smiled in thinking of it." 



"No, gentlemen, that is not the whole story, begging my 

 friend's pardon. After he made his plunge there was noth- 

 ing to be seen of him or of his belongings, but his rod, and 

 that was held as erect and as artistically as if he was playing 



