8 ANGLING 



Hopper to the swim. The boat having been properly moored 

 at the head of the swim, Brown instructed Witchdorter and the 

 writer in the mystery of rigging up a running float and putting 

 the "stop" in the proper place. This being completed, friend 

 Brown said, " Now, I'll give them (meaning the carp bream) 

 a few worms to see if they are here." Witchdorter remarked 

 that he failed to see how he could give them the worms if they 

 were not there to have them. Brown replied, " You wait and 

 see, when they have had this cocoa-nut full," and forthwith he 

 consigned to the depths beneath the struggling atoms of some 

 200 worms he had just ruthlessly cut up with his fishing scissors. 

 Brown sent our floats on their first run, and when about 35 

 yards of the swim had been run over he said, " Now, wind up, 

 and float the swim again." In the meantime he got ready his 

 own rod, put on his running float, and commenced opera- 

 tions. About his second swim he said, "They're here," 

 and immediately he struck and shortly there appeared 

 a nice fish of two or three pounds weight. Others now 

 followed in quick succession, but to cut matters short in 

 three and a half hours Mr. Hopper had caught 20 carp bream, 

 the smallest i^lbs. and the largest 4lbs., the aggregate weight 

 of the 20 being 5olbs. ; friend Brown had caught 10 weighing 

 about 3olbs. ; and Witchdorter one only it was his bad luck 

 and not altogether his bad angling. However, he was not to 

 be without his fun. Suddenly the head of a yokel 

 appeared over the river bank and shouted to Brown, " You're 

 wanted." Now, friend Brown picks up an honest copper in 

 harvest time with measuring the work done by the reapers, so 

 he must be put ashore. Witchdorter, a good and reliable 

 boatman, said, " We need not pull up the stone, Brown, the 

 rope is long enough to sheer the boat ashore." Brown, in 

 confiding trustfulness, after some little remonstrance, con- 

 sented to the proposal. Everything went well and happily 

 until within six feet of the shore, when Brown said, " The rope 

 won't reach ; never mind, don't bother, I'll jump this." " No," 

 said Witchdorter, don't do that, I can put you ashore." 

 Brown, however, intent upon the coppers, went to the head of 



