150 MEN I HAVE FISHED WITH. 



are just in time. Pete says you can't hit a pancake if it's 

 tied over the muzzle of your gun." 



"That may be so, but I'll tell you what I'll do, Pete. 

 If you'll stand one thousand yards down on the ice and 

 let me shoot a pipe out of your mouth, I'll buy you a 

 new hat if I don't break the pipe." 



Another way in which Steve Martin differed from my 

 other fishing companions was that he was a practical 

 joker. Now, fun is one thing and "practical joking" is 

 another. In the mind of the p. j. they are the same thing, 

 but no other human being agrees with him because the 

 fun is all on his side, and the misery of others is his joy. 

 Therefore he is a selfish mortal and that settles him. We 

 were once rowing round Douw's Point against a stiff 

 current, just all that two pairs of oars could do to make 

 a bit of way at the extreme point. The scow had a 

 plugged hole in the bottom to let out water without tip- 

 ping her over when beached. As we were near the 

 shore Steve said: "I guess I'll lighten the boat," and 

 jumped ashore, taking the plug with him. The water 

 was up and wet our feet before we noticed it, and we 

 were only saved from a ducking by promptly beaching 

 the little scow. The author of the mischief was up the 

 bank and off. A new plug was whittled out and we 

 went our way scolding, not so much at what had hap- 

 pened as at what might have occurred. 



Of course he was forgiven, although he never asked 

 to be, but for a time he was made to feel that his fun 

 was not appreciated by the boys that were in the boat. 

 We often shot together over Nell at woodcock, snipe, 

 golden plover and shore birds. He sometimes took her 

 out alone, and when I learned that he was trying to make 

 her retrieve I protested. Steve insisted that a pointer 

 could be taught to retrieve as well as a setter, and in- 



