42 ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 



teristics of our worthy fraternity. He is a base, 

 bungling water-raker, and no angler. 



2d Poacher. I'd gie a croon-piece for a grip o' 

 ane o' your throttles, ye senseless pewter-heids. 

 What richt hae you, I ax, to stap in afore ane, and 

 steir up the pride o' the water wi' your nonsense in 

 this wise ? It's a shame till ye to be plaguin' the 

 like o' us ; and ye'Il repent it, I'se warrant ye ! 



Hackle. Thou art bold, friend, and somewhat 

 saucy ; see you not we are double-rod fishers, like 

 thyself fair dealers after a kind. Come, let thy 

 wrath cool, and be wise ; shut up the sluice-gates 

 of revenge, else shall we spare thee a ducking. 

 Nay, now, look not to thy fellow across the river ; 

 there be enough at his elbow to keep him in trim; 

 and mind, when angling in future, you leave some 

 chance of success to those behind you. 



Leister. This is like preaching to the devil, 

 Hackle ; but the rascals slink off to perpetrate 

 their iniquities somewhere else. Well do I recol- 

 lect the physiognomy of one of them. He is an 

 arrant desperado a natural mischief-maker. His 

 respect for the game-laws is like that of a buzzard- 

 hawk. A grey-hen on her eggs is not safe in his 

 presence. He would unshell the very chicks, in 

 order to satiate his sanguinary lust ! I have seen 

 him with a pannier-full of birds slung across his 

 shoulders, none of them feather-soiled, but all noosed 

 and netted from the choicest coppices and corn- 



