222 By Stream and Sea. 



After the excitement of the capture, Messieurs Kype and 

 Thornbury, B.A., made a discovery. It was freezing hard. 

 The rings of the rod where the wet line had passed in and 

 out enclosed rapidly thickening inner rings, of ice ; the line 

 was stiffened. 



"You've done very well, old fellow," Harvey said; "sup- 

 pose we go ashore now. We have worked our way far 

 across the broad, and it will take us some time to get back 

 again. We shall find Rory champing by the boat-house, 

 and the good wife and bairns will be on the look-out." 



" Agreed," said the other. " Enough's as good as a 

 feast." 



A sip from the pocket-flask sealed the bargain. Thorn- 

 bury stored away his tackle, wound up the winch, unjointed 

 the rod, and announced himself ready and willing to go. 



" I'm afraid I've been very selfish, dear boy," he now 

 said. "You've been fagging for me all day, and I never 

 offered you a turn with the rod, nor gave you a chance with 

 the gun." 



Idiot that he was to touch that mainspring ! 



"Well," slowly but not reluctantly remarked his friend, 

 "perhaps if we pull silently in-shore here, before we cross 

 over, we may get a shot at something that is worth the 

 taking to show the people at the Manor. There are only 

 four or five cartridges in my pouch ; I wouldn't bring more 

 for fear of temptation. I'll tell you what, though, with a 

 little hard weather we shall have these waters swarming 

 with wild-fowl. Pull slowly, Thornbury; don't rattle your 

 oars in the rowlocks as if they were castanets." 



" Slowly it is," he said, nautical if nothing else. 



" Good," he continued. " I shouldn't be a bit surprised 

 if this year we came back to the old times when you could 

 buy ducks at tenpence a pair. When the flights are good, I 



