Two Big Pike. 93 



goodly fish, which we put at twenty pounds at 

 the least; he saw us too, and went below again, 

 but soon began to show symptoms of caving 

 in, and after about a quarter of an hour he 

 came alongside the boat. One short turn 

 more and he turned on his side, when Robert 

 very quickly put his finger and thumb into 

 the hollows of his eyes, and with one vigorous 

 heave hauled him into the boat; a smart rap 

 on his head, a strong quiver, a gasp or two, 

 a sort of straightening himself out, and he was 

 a dead fish. I was warmly congratulated on 

 my capture, and after duly admiring him, we 

 drank a libation of whiskey to the god of 

 fishes, and proceeded to work again. 



Not very far from where I had first hooked 

 my fish the squire suddenly exclaimed, "Here 

 he is! I'm in him!" The fish immediately 

 made straight for a bed of water-lilies to pouch 

 the bait, but there was considerable danger of 

 his getting the line tangled in them, and we 

 were anxious accordingly. But when the 

 allotted ten minutes had expired the squire 

 struck. " By Jingo, he's on ; " and out he came 

 into the deep water, and straight under the 

 boat, before we had time to get out of the w^ay. 



