95 



could not help laughing at this performance, and I thought 

 if that was the London style of ground baiting it was certainly 

 a very absurd and ridiculous one. When the gentieman saw 

 that I was laughing, he said, " Tou may laugh, but we will show 

 you a bit of Eoach fishing that you don't often witness.' ' " Well," 

 I said, "I hope you may, but I very much doubt it." " Why," 

 asked he. " Because," I replied, " in ten minutes there will not 

 be a fish in the place that would thank you for the best bait 

 you could put on the hook, for the simple reason that you have 

 thrown in such a medley of stuff, and such a quantity, that 

 the fish will be perfectly gorged." " Nonsense," he said, " there 

 is plenty of fish here, and I shall give them as much more in 

 about ten minutes." " Well," I said, " we shall see what effect 

 this first lot takes." So at it they went, a gentleman and a 

 lady. 



I'irst round. — After a good deal of dodging, her ladyship let 

 fly a beautiful right bander, which nailed one on the conk, 

 drawing the first blood. 



Second romnd. — A little cautious sparring for about a minute, 

 when the gentleman made a slashing upper cut with the right 

 hand, which told with effect on the nasal organ. He claimed 

 the first knock-down, but, unfortunately, the force of his blow 

 broke his tackle. 



Third round. — ^Eather slow at getting to work. The gent 

 came up rather flushed and excited from the effects of hitting 

 in the last round, and after a few harmless taps on both sides they 

 pulled up. 



^owrth rownd. — In this round some good hitting took place ; 

 one napped it on the beak the other under the chin, a break- 

 away and at it again, when the gent succeeded in planting one, 

 two, on the mouth, and was about to administer another spank, 

 when her ladyship sent out a straight one, and nailed him on 

 the snuffbox. This brought it to a close. 



Eifih round. — The hitting in this round was all in favour of 

 her ladyship, for she succeeded in probing him three times in 

 succession on the breather, and got clear away without a return. 



