hundredths cylindrical feet of water will weigh twenty-two
hundred and forty pounds, figuring one cubic foot of salt water at
sixty-four and three-tenths pounds, if you get my meaning!" and there
was a genial laugh.

"Well, I don't get it, and I don't care to," was the rejoinder. "But
I'm ready to bet you a cold bottle that you've gone into instead of over
that water hazard."

"Done! Come on, we'll take a look!"

CHAPTER XI. POISONOUS PLANTS

Colonel Ashley still stood, holding his now useless rod and line,
gazing first at that, then at Shag and, anon, at the little swirl of the
waters, marking where the big fish had disappeared from view.

"Shag!" exclaimed the colonel in an ominously, quiet voice.

"Yes, sah!"

"Do you know what that was?"

"No, sab, Colonel, I don't."

"Well, that was a spirit manifestation of Izaak Walton. It was jealous
of my success and took that revenge. It was the spirit of the old
fisherman himself."

"Good land ob massy!" gasped Shag. "Does yo'--does yo' mean a--ghost?"

"You might call it that, Shag. Yes, a ghost."

The colored man looked frightened for a moment, and then a broad grin
spread over his face.

"Well, sah, Colonel," he began, deferentially, "maybe yo' kin call
it dat, but hit looks t' me mo' laik one ob dem li'l white balls de
gen'mens an' ladies done knock aroun' wif iron-headed clubs. Dat's whut
it looks laik t' me, sah, Colonel," and Shag picked up a golf ball from
the water, where it floated.

"By Jove!" exclaimed the fisherman. "If it was that--"

His indignant protest was interrupted by the appearance, breaking
through the underbrush on the edge of the stream, of two men, each one
carrying a bag of golf clubs.

"Did you--" began one, and then, as he caught sight of Shag holding up
in his black fingers the white ball, there was added:

"I see you did! Thank you. You were right, Tom. I did go into the water.
I sliced worse than I thought."

Then the two men seemed, for the first time, to have caught sight of
Colonel Ashley. They noticed his attitude, the dangling line and his
disappointed look.

"I beg pardon," said the one who had already spoken, "but did we
interfere with your fishing?"

"Did you interfere with it?" stormed the colonel. "You just naturally
knocked it all to the devil, sir! That's what you did!" And then, as he
saw a curious look on the faces of the two men, he added:

"I beg your pardon. I shouldn't have said that. I'm an