134 SPORT, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



one of the canons of the gentle art of fishing but 

 was scandalously violated. It was a coarse and un- 

 manly encounter the wit, strategy, finesse, and bold- 

 ness of fish pitted against the empty noise and bluster 

 of inferior man and the flimsiness of his despicable 

 barriers. 



In silence and magnificent resolve they came at us. 

 We fought with sticks and all the power of our lungs. 

 Rest was out of the question. The leafy dyke and 

 * bed ' stood ever in need of repair ; the sallies were 

 continuous and determined. The * bed ' was not made 

 for those knightly fish to lie ignobly upon. A single 

 fish would slip down -stream, and, gathering speed and 

 effort, leap with the glitter of heroism in its eyes. 

 One such George caught in his arms. Another slipped 

 through my fingers and struck me on the shoulder, 

 and I bore the mark of the assault for. a week. 

 George's brow was bleeding. Indeed, all his blood 

 was up. His ' heroic rage ' was at bursting -point. 

 We had toiled for two hours and counted but three 

 fish, while as many hundred had battled past our siege 

 works. Quite as many remained, and time, as it 

 generally is, seemed to be in favour of the attack- 

 ing party. 



Was Charles Lamb right when he spoke of ' the 

 uncommunicating muteness of fishes '? These be- 

 leagured mullet surely exchanged ideas and acted with 

 deliberation and in concert. All swayed this way or 

 that in accordance, so it seemed, with the will of 

 the front rank. A tremor there was repeated instantly 

 at the rear. When a detachment made a bid for 

 liberty it was in response to a common impulse. 

 When a single individual started on a forlorn hope, 



