262 AN ANGLER'S HOURS xiv 



seemed (to my unsuccessful mind) that these 

 brothers were somewhat too fortunate ; nor 

 did they seem disposed, like Polycrates, to 

 make sacrifice against the evil chance, but 

 rather spoke of glass cases, methods of pre- 

 servation, and other pinnacles of achieve- 

 ment. Therefore I was reluctantly compelled 

 to remind them that these veterans had been 

 taken with the earth-worm intended for 

 barbel and bream a circumstance which I 

 for one should blush to record on a glass 

 case. 



But they were full of argument. In the 

 matter of Polycrates they pointed out that 

 the cases were not parallel. Polycrates 

 caught his fish after he had made his sacri- 

 fice ; there was no precedent for making a 

 sacrifice after catching the fish. Further, 

 they explained that there would be no 

 necessity for anything about earth-worms to 

 appear on the glass cases ; in fact, such an 

 idea had not entered their heads. Lastly, 

 and most forcibly, they said that I was 

 jealous, and that if I had not captured a 

 veteran it had not been for lack of effort ; 

 had they not seen me angling for barbel 

 and bream in the self -same manner but a 



