OF OBERHAUSEN ON A SEA-STREAM 255 



ever since, to swear that he had to do with the 

 father of all sea-trout. I gave him advice. I said : 

 " Come out on to the shore. Bring the fish out of 

 the fast water. Manoeuvre him into that little 

 bay below you. You must lose him if you let him 

 hang on like that." MacAlister paid no attention 

 to me, but pulled at his pipe till the bowl was 

 ready to crack. After a time he said something 

 about " too much seaweed," and something about 

 "interfering fools," and then the fish broke up- 

 stream towards him, and his monologue ceased. 

 He reeled in nimbly, and came out of the water. 

 When the rod bent again, the fish was in the 

 weed, and after hope had turned to conviction, and 

 conviction had become despair, my poor friend 

 waded in sadly, detached his fly, and set to work 

 again, only to rise one fish, which he hooked and 

 lost. I sat on the rocks smoked, and told 

 MacAlister my opinion of his angling. Presently, 

 the tide ran down to a dribble, and we went home. 

 The Herr Dr. Oberhausen, to whom we related 

 these things on his return from the slaughter of 

 ryper, was more than impressed. He exhibited an 

 intense animation. His eyes grew large and bright. 

 He swore " by the holy poker " (what fire did it 

 stir ?), and "by the holy fly" (where did it buzz?), 

 and several other objects of interest to the hagio- 

 grapher, that he would be the death of some of 



