Guerre a'Mort! 



" Well, now wouldn't that get your goat ! " Ben 

 was about as sore as he was tickled. " Go ahead, 

 Sherry, you get the first cast after all. The gods are 

 against me. If you don't muss things up, I have to! 

 Take the sweater off and go ahead with the fishing. 

 I'll cut the darned (I believe that was the word) 

 sleeve off!" 



Once again I got ready to cast. The bass were 

 standing up on their hind legs all around the boat, 

 giving us the merry ha-ha. 



" Now, Sherry, do look out ! I'm back here don't 

 forget that I'm back her el" Ben had crowded 

 back as far in the little dinghy as he could get. 



I sighted, shook out my rod, aimed fired! 



"My God, Sherry! You've hooked me!" yelled 

 Ben. 



Something had happened of that I was certain. 

 I heard a dull thud behind me. Looking back, I be- 

 held Ben crouched way down in the boat, with his 

 arms wrapped round his head, his nose buried in the 

 bottom of the boat, blood streaming from one hand. 

 I looked at something dangling on my plug Ben's 

 hat! Ben uncovered and quoth as follows: 



" Sh-Sherry, d-d-don't you know you m-m-might 

 have h-hooked me instead of my hat?" He stut- 

 tered more than that, even. 



" Sure I know I might have, Ben, but fact remains 

 I didn't. To be perfectly frank, didn't t-try to 



192 



