42 WHAT I HAVE SEEN WHILE FISHING 



in evidence as to leave impressions that multiply 

 him. It is a little startling when, on your arrival 

 at a hotel, you see him in the porch and the first 

 words you hear from him are : 



" Good morning? Good morning for what?" 

 in a distinctly irritable tone ; and then, in answer 

 to his gillie's further statement : 



" It's a fine morning for fish, colonel." 



" Fine morning for fish be . There are no 



fish." The gillie evidently knew his man, so in a 

 coaxing tone he said : 



" Be jabers, sorr, it was a rale beauty you so 

 nearly had yesterday. Bad luck to the beastly bush 

 he was round in a twinkling second ! " 



The colonel, a little mollified, said : 



" A kelt, man ; a kelt." 



When taking his seat for dinner after a fruitless 

 day fishless, I prefer to say, as no day's fishing 

 can be altogether fruitless he snatched at the 

 menu in such a fashion as made me fear that what 

 might be written there would not be pleasing to 

 him. He read aloud : 



" Potato Soup. 

 Rabbit Pie." 



Then compressed his lips, puckered his brow, 

 and read again, quite witheringly : 



"Potato Soup. 

 Rabbit Pie." 



What he then said does not count. I know he 



