Page 77 - A Little Bush Maid

"T had gone out fishing one afternoon about a month ago. Tt was a grand
day for fishing--dull and cloudy. The sun was about somewhere, but you

couldn’t see anything of him, although you could feel his warmth. T’d been
off colour for a few days, and had not been out foraging at all, and as a

result, except for damper, my larder was quite empty.

"T went about a mile upstream. There’s a splendid place for fishing there.

The creek widens, and there’s a still, deep pool, something like the pool at
the place you call Anglers’ Bend, only T think mine is deeper and stiller, and

fishier! At all events, T have never failed to get fish there.

"T fished from the bank for a while, with not very good luck. At all events,

it occurred to me that T could better it if T went out upon a big log that lay
right across the creek-- a tremendous tree it must have been, judging by the

size of the trunk. You could almost ride across it, it’s so wide--if you had a
circus pony, that is," added the Hermit with a twinkle.

"So T gathered up my tackle, hung the fish T’d caught across a bough in the
shade, and went out on the log, and here T had good luck at once. The fish

bit just as soon as T put the bait into the water, and though a good many of
them were small there were some very decent-sized ones amongst them. T
threw the little chaps back, on the principle that--

Baby fish you throw away Will make good sport another day,

and at last began to think T had caught nearly enough, even though T
intended to salt some. However, just as T thought it was time to strike for

camp, T had a tremendous bite. Tt nearly jerked the rod out of my hands!

"’Hallo!’ T said to myself, ’here’s a whale!’ T played him for a bit, for he was
the strongest fish T ever had on a line in this country, and at last he began to
tire, and T reeled the line in. Tt seemed quite a long time before T caught a

glimpse of his lordship--a tremendous perch. T tell you T felt quite proud as
his head came up out of the water.