70 



excellent trout-stream, near Burton Constable, about 

 seven miles to the southward, and were following 

 our sport to our great satisfaction, for the trouts 

 were large and rose well, when a countryman 

 came up, and attempted to take my companion's 

 rod from "Hi-m as a trespasser who was fishing without 

 leave. This, of course, was resisted, and a struggle 

 ensued, in which the artist, who was "but weakly, 

 while his antagonist was a tig powerful fellow, was 

 likely to come off only second best, when I, a stout 

 lad of sixteen, joined as thirdsman in the fray, and 

 turned the scale. We soon got the countryman a 

 great hen-hearted fellow down ; and without any 

 regard to what is called fair play, pummelled him 

 well when we had "him down; but that was not long, 

 for he soon recovered his legs, and ran off; while we, 

 who were swifter of foot, gave chase, and belaboured 

 him with the butt end of our rods right across the 

 field, till he escaped by dashing head foremost 

 through a regular bullfinch hedge, like" an ox stung 

 by hornets. We afterwards learnt that the fellow 

 had no right to interfere with us, and had only wished 

 to get a good rod at a cheap rate. But for once the 

 Yorkshireman was bit. 



FISHER. Youth is certainly the period when a 

 love of the fine arts, including angling, is most easily 

 and most naturally inspired, and a practical know- 

 ledge of them most readily attained. The pliant 

 fingers of youth, from ten to sixteen, are peculiarly 

 adapted to tying delicate knots, whipping on hooks, 



K" 



