DAYS ON THE NEPIGON. 



urally a pusillanimous sneak, the embodiment 

 of pure cussedness, a confidence man, always 

 watching for something easy. 



When he is hooked and feels the prick of 

 the steel, there is only a momentary skirmish, 

 a magnificent bluff, then sinking into' a leth- 

 argy, "the critter's eyes are sot," he is ready 

 to surrender, turn up his toes and cry enough, 

 after offering less than a half-hearted scuffle 

 it is no fight; and being destitute of manners 

 and self-respect, hobbles in on all fours, or 

 sneaks in like a water-soaked stick. 



He is absolutely resourceless, and anything 

 that savors of concentrated and determined 

 action to save his scalp is repugnant to his 

 intestines. He has not one-quarter the game- 

 ness of his neighbor, the sedate-looking white- 

 fish. Just jerk him in without any compunc- 

 tion of conscience, for there is a total ab- 

 sence of genial expression while handling him, 

 and the angler here, if so unfortunate as to 

 hook one, invariably tosses him into the dis- 

 card with alacrity and disgust. 



Scales, feathers, fur, bristles, never cov- 



44 



