24 EXPERIENCES OF SPORT. 



man should not get the better of me. I was 

 aware that he disliked me immensely, from the 

 simple fact that I had beaten him in a pigeon 

 match which had been held in the park some 

 few days before, and at which all the ladies 

 had been present. This had much piqued the 

 captain, who was still more embittered against 

 me inasmuch as a very pretty black eyed young 

 lady was making me a silk jacket, which I was 

 to perform in at the annual steeple-chases held 

 close by, and in which our host, Sir F., had a 

 horse entered that I was to ride. 



One evening the conversation turned on fish- 

 ing. " By Jove," said Sir F., " I believe I have 

 down in the rush pool, close by the decoy, the 

 largest pike in England, it is a family fish, he 

 has been there before I can remember, and we 

 begin to look on him as a sort of heirloom ; scores 

 have endeavoured to take him spinning, troll- 

 ing, live and dead bait, have been tried, but to 

 no purpose, he won't have them." (Spoon baits 

 were not invented in those days.) 



" Indeed," said the captain, " pretty fisher- 

 men you must have had. Five to four in tens 

 I take him." 



