174 How 1 Became a Sportsman. 



fish. I was rather chagrined at my ill-hick, 

 and had only one more cast to make, when I 

 felt the well-known electric shock, and away 

 went a good fish, taking out a good bit of 

 hne. I was standing on some hatches, the 

 water being a good depth below me. After a 

 time, and two or three grand jumps clean 

 out of the water, showing him to be in rare 

 condition (but I was not to be done in that 

 way), I lowered the point of my rod every time 

 he jumped, — this jumping took the metal out of 

 him, — and very soon after I got my fish dead 

 beat, and he came floating on the top of the 

 water. The pool was surrounded by bushes, 

 and how to get him out I knew not ; so at last 

 made up my mind to trust to the strength 

 of the tackle ; so I got hold of the line, and 

 very gingerly and cautiously lifted him up till 

 he was on the hatches at my feet. He was 

 very firmly hooked, or I should never have 

 got him up ; it was a ticklish job, but he was 

 basketed. 



I was back in time for breakfast, much 

 delighted at my success, though I lost my 

 bet, as the fish was short of the weight by 

 a quarter of a pound. 



