272 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



handed a pair to Bismarck, " in fact, 

 the lightest." 



Bismarck took them ; gently moved 

 them up and down, one in each hand, as 

 if in response to Peter's statement of 

 their weight ; then looked up in per- 

 plexity, saying, without words, What am 

 I to do with them ? 



" Put them on, of course," said Peter, 

 "and your jacket off." He had laid his 

 own jacket aside, and was already gloved. 



"But," said Bismarck, hesitatingly, 

 "surely it's not to be expected " 



"That you can put up your hands 

 against a greenkeeper ? Yes : that's it. 

 It's what they a' feel in the same circum- 

 stances my distinguished visitors. Tuts ! 

 Dinna' let sic a trifle stand between us ! 

 I'm no' a greenkeeper by nature. I'm 

 hardly one in reality. The post is a 

 sinecure. I hold it merely in order to 

 account to the folks hereaboot for my 

 bidin' in the place. It gi'es me my visible 

 means o' subsistence. But that's nothing. 

 What I really live on are the invisible im- 



