THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 175 



others : " Talk about fishing, what do you 

 call this 'ere, but out and out sport ? Why 

 these 'ere three fish weigh on towards ten 

 pounds." 



" They do, indeed," said Stickings. 



" And are they jacks ?" said Rigings. 



" Why, as to that," said Bigings, " you 

 see I can hardly tell. I should think they are, 

 for they've been precious hungry : only see how 

 the rascals have been trying to get the bait 

 down their throats, and they have completely 

 choked themselves, for they're as dead as 

 herrings." 



" Why, mine's as stiff as a poker," said 

 Rigings, " and he's got every morsel of the 

 beef-steak down his throat. Why, they must 

 have got hungry all on a sudden." 



" No, no," said Bigings, " it wasn't that 

 'ere it was all still and quiet, and so they 

 didn't suspect anything, and so they thought 

 they'd have a good meal." 



This conversation, and a good deal more, 

 joined to their ignorance of the trick that had 

 been played upon them, pleased the gents in 

 the punt to no little extent, and as they 

 had succeeded so well, they resolved to play 

 them another, of some kind, if they should 



