EXPERIENCES & REMINISCENCES. 113 



properly, and this too when a river steamer with full steam up 

 was close upon them. Mr. Hopper is not yet tired of this life 

 whatever Twynkles may be, and he doth accordingly beseech 

 Twynkles to give up his bad habit, which is so full of murderous 

 intent against Mr. Hopper's remaining lease of life. 



Another little incident happened the first day of Mr. Hopper's 

 holiday by the river side. Having left his plumb sinker at home 

 which he uses to ascertain the depth of water, he foolishly tied his 

 scissors (which every angler on the Trent must have) just above 

 his hook to plumb the depth : result, scissors stuck fast between 

 some big stones 12 feet below, and pull as Mr. Hopper would 

 they would not return, and one pull too strong was given, 

 breaking Mr. Hopper's line just about two feet below 

 the quill float. Mr. Hopper rigged up another tackle and 

 threw in, and on next pulling up found his hook and tackle 

 had wrapped round the broken line below the float, and 

 he brought up scissors and tackle intact. This was very 

 strange, considering the Trent is from 80 to 100 yards wide at 

 that particular place, and from 12 to 16 feet deep. 



Yet one more incident. The readers of Mr. Hopper's 

 notes will recollect a most amusing dialogue with a rollicking 

 bargee on a sloop at Fledborough Dyke end, who, addressing 

 Helterton, expressed such an earnest desire that he " could 

 blow out a pair of cheeks like your'n, maister," and who said 

 H. was a "fine boy," and that he, the bargee, had some 

 " darters," and that he was a prudent parent and looked well 

 after his " darters " when fine boys like H. were on the river. 

 Well, this same bargee was there again with his sloop in the 

 identical spot where it was moored two years ago, and, at once 

 missing Helterton he dropped a silent tear of remorse well, 

 not quite silent, for Mr. Hopper heard its briny splash when it 

 mingled with the waters of the Trent at the " fine boy's " 

 enforced absence from Trent-side this year. It is perhaps as 

 well for that bargee that Helterton was not with Mr. Hopper 

 this year, for the latter feels assured it would have gone bad 

 with the bargee if H. had got well at him. However, H. was 

 not there, and after a word or two of friendly riverside chat with 



