Fly-FiJhing. 113 



at nine o'clock from the bottom of the High Street 

 in a dog-cart fnipe {hooting with a friend, who 

 could have rivalled the fat boy in Pickwick (had 

 that diftinguifhed young gentleman been in ex- 

 iftence) in flefhly proportions at leaft, though his 

 oppofite in everything elfe. Active, energetic, 

 and irritable in the extreme ; woe betide any one 

 who came in his way when he was exafperated. 

 A blow from his fift, I verily believe, would have 

 felled an ox. 



To flow ourfelves and our paraphernalia away 

 to our fatisfa&ion, to fay nothing of the four dogs 

 we had to cram in behind, took us no little time. 

 Alas ! for the reverfes of us poor mortals ! We 

 had fcarcely got off, and commenced rattling beau- 

 tifully along over the ftones when lo ! all at once, 

 my companion gave me a tremendous poke in the 

 fide with his elbow, afking me if I heard that noife ? 

 " What noife ? " I moft innocently replied. But 

 before he had time to anfwer, fmafh went the axle- 

 tree in two, and out fhot we head foremoft on 

 each fide of the broken-down vehicle into the mid- 

 dle of the ftreet. 



Had my very life depended on my putting on 

 a ferious face, I muft have gone out of the world 

 in a merry mood then. Incafed in a thick great- 

 i 



