AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 175 



the squid before it had spent its ink, and I was 

 deluged, and my mouth near filled, with its black 

 fluid ire. 



When this accident occurs somehow it often 

 does every one is supposed to laugh, and the 

 victim's laugh should be the loudest. The etiquette 

 of games and sport, where boys are, must be upheld 

 most strictly or you are classed a duffer ; so, having 

 cleared my mouth, I tried earnestly to do my part, 

 as becomes a parent. 



I fear they all outlaughed me except my 

 eldest son, who made no sound. What could his 

 silence mean ? I turned to see and found him in 

 a paroxysm of mirth ; with sides heaving almost to 

 bursting and wide opened mouth, from which his 

 tongue spread out in such away that not a sound 

 could come. Vinicombe, our Cornish fisherman, a 

 short, thick-set man with florid face, was enjoying 

 himself immensely over my misfortune and his 

 laugh o'ertopped all others. When my look fell 

 on him he tried to excuse himself by saying, " Oh, 

 maister, you be such a sight," and then we did the 

 laughing just once more. 



The bait so taken we had with us on the hot 

 day, on the Manacles, of which I am writing. It 

 had been kept well hidden from the sun and we 

 waited with skin-stiff faces for some hopeful signs 

 of change. 



At last the birds began to move, and, from 

 Lizardwards, there came, with occasional hoverings 



