A PIKE STORY. 35 



save it from his teeth ; that is the stuff to hold 

 a big one with. It takes a little more time, but 

 pays for the trouble. Remember, my boy, it may 

 put a cool hundred in your pocket. How old 

 may you be ?" 



I told him "just twenty." 



" Dash me," returned the volatile major, 

 " this hundred if you could land it would set 

 you up with a doocid good dog-cart, horse, and 

 harness ; you will be wanting that now that you 

 are going into the steeple-chase line ; and it is an 

 uncommon pleasant thing to drive to cover in, 

 of a cold morning, instead of riding your hack 

 or hunter, as the case may be. Lord, if we can 

 only pull it off, it will be a grand thing !" 



By ten o'clock we were all at the pool. Sir 

 F., his wife, some half-a-dozen pretty bright- 

 eyed girls, my dark one amongst them, the 

 captain, and all the rest of them. 



" Now, Charley/' said the major, " fish with 

 my line, a rum one to look at, but a good one, 

 dressed by myself ; equal parts of gold size and 

 burnt oil, soaked in a basin, and then passed 

 through the stem of a tobacco pipe to make it 

 even and level. It would hold an elephant." 



32 



