30 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



" Done what, sir?" I inquired, tremblingly. 



" Do you know where you got those big trout 

 from ? " 



I told him. He burst out laughing. " My dear 

 boy," he said, " that was the keeper's private 

 ' stew,' where he puts the extra-sized trout that 

 he nets, intending them to increase and multiply 

 unmolested. He came up to me to-day in a 

 wrathful state of mind, told me that his favourite 

 trout were missing, that he was sure it was the 

 work of my ' confounded boys,' and that he would 

 ' take precious good care they did not catch any 

 more.' " 



I hung my head and pleaded ignorance, and 

 was forgiven. 



