174 THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 



as he could, and drawing the large jack-hooks 

 clean through their upper lips. He then 

 dropped them into the water and rowed 

 away. 



But it was some time before they had the 

 pleasure of seeing their astonishment, for the 

 rain kept falling, and they kept eating, drink- 

 ing and smoking Rigings pleasing or teas- 

 ing the company with his nonsense. At last 

 the shower ceased, and out they came. Rigings, 

 bustling along, was first at the water, and 

 upon taking hold of his rod to see if anything 

 had been at his bait, began pulling upon the 

 barbel. 



" By the powers of the lucifer-box," he 

 bawled out, " I've got one !" and he pulled it 

 at such a tremendous rate, lest it should fall 

 off, that snap went his top joint, and had it 

 not been that his line went through the rings 

 on his rod, he would have lost it ; but he soon 

 pulled the barbel out with the line. 



By this time Bigings and Stickings had 

 taken up their rods, and with delightful 

 astonishment were exclaiming, (< I've got 

 one !" and hauling them in as quickly as 

 possible, Bigings winding his in with his 

 winch, in sportsman-like style, saying to the 



