22 ANGLING. 



wards, nolens wlens, at a fearful rate, but wondering 

 greatly what to make of such a sudden change from 

 softly shaded light to dingy darkness. Our spot- 

 ted friend now pauses for a moment, the line 

 slackens, and your heart, though a bold one, beats 

 with fear, for you think him gone for ever ; but no, 

 the tightened line and trilling reel reassure your 

 doubting grasp, and away he goes again, launching 

 lake-ward, as if he really thought of crossing over. 

 Now this freak wont suit you if you are wishing 

 only to wade, have no boat, and can't swim ; so (but 

 not ungently) try to check his speed, or wheel 

 him round, and as one good turn deserves another, 

 he may have his own way on the gridiron to- 

 wards night. Neatly done, youngster. Now he 

 goes onwards right or left, perhaps comes pretty 

 quickly towards you, as if to enquire by whom has 

 been disturbed his solitary reign (reel up, and keep 

 no slack upon your line) give way again, for 

 behold another burst of virtuous indignation, fol- 

 lowed by a sudden spring of at least a yard into the 

 air. Never mind, you have proved a tenacious 

 hold, he begins to peek, and will soon be mollified 

 to your content. He now takes a quiet and rather 

 disagreeable kind of tugging range along the shore, 

 perhaps with no bad intention, nor any definite 

 object in view, but really looking at times as if he 

 were in sober search of some quiet landing place. 

 Do you the same. Behold how sweet a harbour 

 close at hand, small gravelly stones, and sand, 

 and broken shells, a fairy haunted haven, the 

 shelving neither sudden nor much prolonged, the 



