EXPERIENCES & REMINISCENCES. 65 



float. It seems necessary to explain this, as some people are so 

 awfully green and uneducated in matters piscatorial. Helter- 

 ton was cautioned, in that quiet way which so well becomes 

 Witchdorter, that it was wholly unnecessary to make so 

 muscular a display of energy when "striking" his fish, and 

 the " old lady " also thought a cod or a haddock line purchased 

 on Grimsby docks might in future be more suitable for such 

 " yucks '* than a fine twisted silk line, all which advice Helter- 

 ton swallowed with a gruesome but withal self-satisfied 

 countenance, for he knew no one else in the boat possessed the 

 necessary muscular development to give anything like such a 

 yuck. However, to hark back ; the Commodore had parted 

 from his fish, his float, and his tackle, it was expected for ever, 

 and bitter tears of disappointed hope coursed down his manly 

 but maneless cheeks. 



Many years ago, in those far-off days when Mr. Hopper was 

 a small kiddy, there was a popular song called " Bobbing 

 around," and that is just what Helterton's float was seen to be 

 doing about two hours afterwards, for Witchdorter that clever 

 exponent of the angling art in deep waters (a deep old file is 

 Witchdorter) had cleverly (Mr. Hopper believes quite un- 

 consciously) manipulated to the surface of the water a mass of 

 weed entangled in, or at any rate attached to which were the 

 Commodore's lost tackle and float with a flounder on the hook. 

 The weight of the weed was however too great a strain upon the 

 clothes-prop Witchdorter was fishing with, and down the whole 

 lot (weed, tackle, float, and flounder, and very nearly Witch- 

 dorter, but not quite) went again to the bottom of the Trent. 

 Again did the Commodore weep other salt tears, and his manly 

 cheeks were once more furrowed with the lines those sad tears 

 caused, and yet once again he rubbed his nose against the 

 nozzle of the stone gallon jug of Warwick's best ale (Now, Mr. 

 Warwick, there's a cheap advertisement for you ! What shall 

 you stand Mr. Hopper?) and drank deeply and to his heart's 

 content. Notwithstanding those briny tears of Helterton's the 

 float did not put in an appearance again that day ; but strange 

 to relate, on the Monday following, being three days afterwards 



