190 THE BOY 



truth, when he gets home, "Me and Jim ketched 

 twenty ! " though he forgets to add that Jim caught 

 nineteen of them. Wherefore not? Do not his 

 biggers and betters brag of scores which would not 

 have been made if their guides and oarsmen had 

 not fished? 



Alack, for the bygone days ! When May comes 

 with south winds and soft skies and the green 

 fields are dotted with the gold of dandelions and 

 patched with the blue of violets, and the bobo- 

 links are riotous with song over them, who would 

 not be a boy again just for one day to go a-fishing? 



