338 WHAT I HAVE SEEN WHILE FISHING 



Round the corner came a punt, and, lying at 

 full length along the well, with head and shoulders 

 hanging down level with the water, was H , a 

 notorious thief and poacher. First a jack, and 

 then a barbel, was cleverly snared, and afterwards 

 two more jack were snatched in. Just then the 

 punt caught the stream and travelled too fast for 

 his work. He rose, took the pole, and pushed her 

 into the ditch close to the spot where the two 

 anglers were secreted. They waited until he came 

 on land, and then one of them stood directly in 

 front of him, and asked, "What sport?" The 

 wary poacher smelt a rat, and, as he answered, 

 " Not a fish," he drew from his pocket a quart 

 glass bottle, which he firmly gripped by the neck. 

 " I saw you take several, and in an illegal manner," 

 came, m a stern firm voice, from the man who 

 barred the road. The poacher, with an oath, 

 threatened that he would dash his brains out, if 

 he did not stand aside, and with this he made a 

 step forward with his arm uplifted, and the bottle 

 reached within an inch of his opponent's nose. 



One step backwards went the little fellow to 

 free his mouth and nostrils from the too close 

 vicinity of the bottle, so that he might say to his 

 companion, " Stand by, but don't interfere unless 

 I call for help." Then to the man in front of him, 

 from whom his eye had not wandered, " Will you 

 or will you not hand me over the fish and snare ? " 

 The answer was another series of oaths, and, as he 



