340 WHAT I HAVE SEEN WHILE FISHING 



and, as I saw his ferocious, bloodthirsty look, I 

 made a step or two forward in my fear lest he 

 had armed himself, from his pocket, with a worse 

 and more cowardly weapon than a bottle. No, 

 it was with clenched fist that he made an attempt 

 at a running blow ; but it's oncoming had been 

 seen by the intended victim, and the brute's im- 

 petuosity was utilised to bring him once more 

 violently to the ground. He rose, and blindly 

 rushed at, and closed with, his man, but he was 

 soon to discover that he could not strive at close 

 quarters. 



Vainly he attempted to thrust his antagonist 

 to arm's length with his left that he might strike 

 wkh his right, but each and every struggle tended 

 to perfect the grip of his lithesome wrestling oppo- 

 nent. The angler weighed him across his buttock 

 and let him gently back upon his legs, as I have 

 seen professional wrestlers do. He was evidently 

 satisfied, for almost instantly H - was turning 

 a somersault, and, as he came down on his back 

 upon the ground, the wrestler fell on him with 

 a dull, squashy thud, that plainly said, " it's all 



over." 



As I made a slight circuit to avoid the three 

 men I saw H , lamb-like, submitting to have 

 his poaching pockets rifled of the barbel and jack. 



The poacher did not meet the magistrates over 

 the matter "cherchez la femme." He gave up 

 poaching, and took a fancy for poultry, and was 



