so A Sportsman at Large 



" Chuck him out, and on to the bank," I shouted. 



The effort was made, but the fish gave a despairing squirm 

 and slithered out of Ted's hands, falling back on the surface 

 with a resounding flop, and incidentally breaking my line 

 just above the hook, thus freeing itself. It lay still on the 

 surface for a moment, waving its great, black fins. I dashed 

 into the water, knee-deep, in hope of retrieving it, but just as 

 I was about to clutch it, the tench rolled over and sailed 

 away slowly into the depths from whence it had come. I 

 was furious and had the wind fairly up, for this desirable fish 

 was a three-pounder at least ! 



" You rotter ! " I shouted to my cousin witheringly. " What 

 the devil made you drop it ? Why on earth didn't you fetch 

 the net when I told you ? How did you hope to lift a big 

 tench with your mutton fists ? " 



" I couldn't help it, old sport. The dashed thing was as 

 slippery as an eel ; but what does it matter, there are plenty 

 more where that ugly brute came from ! " 



This was altogether too much. I scrambled out, wet and 

 muddy and strode up to the offender. I am afraid I conjured 

 up my whole store of sultry anathemas and voiced them 

 to the astonished Edward. 



He stood it for a time, and then, all of a sudden, his own 

 choler rose in revolt. 



" Shut up ! " he yelled. " Confound you and your slimy 

 tench. Here, get back into the pond and fetch him out 

 if you want him." 



With this he gave me a shove which sent me to the very 

 brink of the pond again. The war clouds were gathering, and 

 it looked as if serious issue would be joined, but, happily, 

 there was a diversion in the shape of Mrs. Begg's red-headed 

 and colossal nephew and heir, Charlie Forbes, who came 

 up and wanted to know what all the rumpus was about, and 

 whether we had leave to fish his aunt's waters. Having assured 

 him that such was indeed the case, we simmered down, but 

 the loss of that particularly fine tench oppressed me for months 

 and will be held in regretful memory until the end of all things. 



Next, we tried a long, river-like bit of water which stretched 

 between the Round Pond and the " Great Lake " and here, 



