136 FISHING GOSSIP. 



communicated through the quivering shaft of the 

 spear, tells at once that it has penetrated a living 

 organised being, and that the stroke has been mortal. 

 Possibly the sensation very much resembles what 

 would be given under similar circumstances by 

 another member of the eel tribe, the Gymnotus electri- 

 cus; but never having had the pleasure of fleshing my 

 spear in the sides of one of these floating or swimming 

 galvanic batteries, I cannot pretend to precision as 

 to the fact. Take up the victim, however, gently ; all 

 unnecessary cruelty is of course avoided ; and a few 

 taps of the head of the spear against the edge of a 

 seat will disengage it from the prey. And here let 

 no humanitarian turn up his eyes and hint a prosecu- 

 tion ; for has not that eel died the epic death of a 

 hero? a death which a Diomede or a Philoctetes 

 might be proud to inflict or to receive from a worthy 

 foe by the waters of Simois or Scamander? Here, 

 too, is the proper place to explain more fully the dark 

 allusions made to immersion. In his anxiety about 

 striking, the young spearsman is liable to lean too 

 much forward on his spear, and lose his balance. 

 In that case Dingey, like a vicious little hack, "jibs" 

 back from the stroke, and lands the operator all-fours 

 in the pool. If not a good swimmer, he may make 

 up his mind as he obeys the laws of gravitation that 

 the accident can only happen once. 



If the morning continues propitious as it began, 



