vii FISHERMAN BILLY 125 



descript yellow colouring and two and a half 

 inches long. Old Billy of course protests, 

 assuring me that " them things is no good," 

 but perseverance is at once justified, for I 

 get a nice five-pound fish at the second cast. 



Thereupon Old Billy asks me again to 

 remember that he said I should catch fish 

 to-day. Before very long I am fast in 

 another, which is also safely landed, but 

 which has unfortunately played havoc with 

 the bait. The sharp teeth have practically 

 destroyed the dressing of the hooks, and it 

 would not be safe to trust the chances of a 

 third encounter. I have not another Devon 

 of the right size and colour in my box, so a 

 spoon-bait is put on for the last half-hour, 

 greatly to the dissatisfaction of Old Billy, 

 who has no sort of belief in spoon-baits. 

 This time he may be right, for I only catch 

 one three-pound fish, which I return hastily 

 before he can get at it with the bottle. By 

 now it is freezing again and the sun has set, 

 so I decide that we have had enough. Old 

 Billy pulls up his rypecks and we return to 

 the landing-stage. 



We have a brace and a half of decent fish 

 to show, so we have not done so badly. Old 



