Too Great a Temptation 



Well, under that bridge was the finest school of lazy 

 shiners I had ever seen big fellows with black backs 

 and occasionally one would strut around a little to 

 show his broad yellow side. 



I hurried around to the mill by a back way, took a 

 line from a pole so as to present a minimum of evi- 

 dence to the world, dug a few worms, and ran to the 

 bridge. Lying down behind a post to be out of sight 

 of fish as well as people, I let the drop line down cau- 

 tiously toward the snout of a shiner. And just as 

 Mr. Shiner became aware of the worm, my father 

 grabbed me by the arm. 



A licking would have been the normal thing, but 

 I was so wrapped up in those shiners that the fear of 

 it did not occur to me. I was dazed, shocked, and up- 

 set so completely by losing those shiners that I could 

 say nothing nor do anything. I couldn't even get re- 

 lief by tears. It was the tragedy of the lost shiners 

 and not fear of a switching that gripped me. And f 

 still consider it a bit of good judgment that my father 

 omitted the switch. All he said was : " It's time for 

 thee to go get the cow." 



Many years later in my first attempt at salt-water 

 fishing on the Massachusetts coast, I persuaded a brand 

 new wife to row a dory beyond reason while I cast 

 for mackerel. I enlarged on my knowledge of mack- 

 erel and the reception we would get at the hotel on 

 bringing in the first mackerel of the season. 



227 



