HOW HE WORKED IT.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 34

HOW HE WORKED IT.

It was in the snug of a riverside inn up in — wtll, never mind where. They were discussing the question of the susceptibility of hostile keepers to bribery and corruption, and Jones made the sweeping assertion that there wasn't a river-keeper, watcher, or bailiff in the whole of Yorkshire who couldn't be squared if you went properly about t'ae job.

" I doubt that very much," chimed in Ferguson ; " there's the keeper — Long Harry, they call him— on Lord S 's water, half a mile higher up the river ; they say he's a terror. He's as sharp as a weasel, and dead nuts on poachers and trespassesrs of all kinds." "Pooh, pooh!" Jones retorted loftily; "I durst guarantee to fish the whole of Lord S 's private water to-morrow without any bother at all — that is, more than tipping the keeper half a crown or so." " I'll bet you half a soy. you don't," eagerly exclaimed Ferguson, who through the open door had caught sight of Long Harry comforting his velveteen soul with a drop of Scotch at the bar, an interested listener to every word that was being said in the snug.

"And so will I," "and so will I," echoed the other rodsters, who, following Ferguson's glance, had also noted the wide-awake look of business in the keeper's eye.

" Done ! " cried Jones, in blissful ignorance of Long Hariy's close proximity, and promptly making a memo of the bets — six in all.

The next morning, after an early breakfast, the party set out. Jones coolly hopped over the fence that separated Lord S 's estate from the adjoining property, and the others watched him fish up the stream until he was hidden from sight by the •willows. They waited for an hour to see that he did not return, and then they went off to their own fishing, chuckling over the thought of how finely Jones would be "done." Much to their surprise he strolled placidly into the inn in the evening, and turned 15 brace of splendid trout out of his creel, not to mention half a dozen fine grayling. The little band stared openmouthed. "You caught all these in Lord S 's water ? " queried Ferguson. " Every fin," Jones replied, triumphantly. " Honour bright ? " " Honour bright." "And what about Long Harry— didn't he see you ? " " Oh, yes, but I gave him two bob, and that seemed to satisfy him. He showed me all the likeliest spots, and helped me to laud that twopounder. But, I say, hadn't you better ba forking out those half soys ? " and Jones went to bed that night with a clear balance of £2 18* on the right side, and the consciousness of having done a noble deed. In the silent watches of the night Ferguson thought the matter over. Fit teen brace of good trout and three brace of grayling was a day's sport not to be despised. He was every bit as good a diplomatist as Jones, and if Jones could do it he could. So he quietly rose at daybreak and slipped off to the forbidden paradise. It realty was first-rate water, and held a good stock of fish ; there could ba no doubt about it. Iv half an hour the weight of his basket had increased perceptibly, and he was just on the point of landing bis tenth fish when the bushes on the bank parted, and Long Harry made his appearance, brusquely ordering him to " come out er that." Six-foot-thrteof Long Harry was rather too much to openly defy, so Ferguson came "out er that" with alacrity and a persuasive smile on his face as he placed his finger and thumb suggestively in his v<_sb pocket. But) tho keeper's grim features never relaxed a muscle. Ferguson began by offering half a crown, and the bidding quickly went up to fabulous eumn, bat it was all to no purpose, and the angler began to have grave doubts as to his powers of diplomacy. Then he begged, entreated, and implored, with no bettar result. Long Harry might have been made of velveteen and steel ramrods for all the impression made on him. In the end the keeper marched Ferguson up to the hall, where he was given the option of delivering up his tackle and subscribing a guinea (o the local cottage hospital or appearing before the county magistrates. He selected the former, and was escorted off the estate minus his rod and basket and the guinea, and returned straight to the inn to drown his sorrows in the flowing bowl. It was here his companions found him later on — found him utterly demoralised, and the air was thick with the fumes of whisky and bad language.

" I don't believe Jones ever came across that cursed keeper at all yesterday," he exclaimed savagely.

"6h yes, I did. What makes you think otherwise ? " returned Jones cheerfully, whereupon Ferguson poured out his tale of woe, at which the others went into convulsions of laughter.

" That's curious — very curious. He took my florin all right ; thanked me civilly for it, too, and hoped I should go again some day," observed Jones when the merriment had subsided. Then he added gravely, as if suddenly struck by an afterthought, " Stop, though ! It quite slipped my mind to mention before that I happened to have a written permit for yesterday from Lord S 's steward. I wonder if that could have made any difference ? " And it took the other five, together wi<h the landlord and the hostler, all their time to prevent Ferguson from committing a breach of the peace. — Yorkshire Weekly Post.