urist was wise enough to say never a word. He jerked out and
retained the fly, left the salmon on the floor, walked softly out, and
had vanished by next day.

CHAPTER XIII

HALFORD AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES

The story of Halford's life has been well told by himself in the
_Autobiography_, published in 1903, and it would be with a pained
amazement that the wide circle of readers who knew him and of him
received the shock of his announced death in the daily papers. They
will, I am sure, be sadly interested in the brief story of the close of
that life under circumstances that were unspeakably pathetic. Mr.
Halford was in the habit of escaping our English winter by going to the
sunshine of resorts like the Riviera, Egypt, or Algiers, and this year
went to Tunis with his only son Ernest, his inseparable companion on
all such voyages. They had a good holiday, and Halford was in
excellent health, full of life and energy, keenly enjoying the
Orientalism of the place, and very busy with his camera.

"Tunis is a remarkably busy, bustling sort of place"--he says in a
letter to me dated February 13 from the Majestic Hotel--"very Eastern,
with the usual accompanying stinks, and most interesting to us. I have
taken a good many photos, but am a bit doubtful about them, and do not
know why. But--well, we shall see. They have made Ernest an hon.
member of the Lawn Tennis Club (he is now Colonel Halford), so he gets
plenty of exercise, and the other members are great sportsmen. Indeed,
this is the most manifest development I notice amongst the French of
today."

The Halfords left Tunis for home on February 24 in bad weather, and a
wretched boat, and F. M. H., always a good sailor, was the only
gentleman aboard who could appear at meals. At Marseilles, reached on
the 26th, Ernest and his father separated, the former to make a
business call at Paris, the latter to finish the voyage to London on
the P. and O. _Morea_, which sailed on the 28th, arriving at Gibraltar
on March 2 (Monday). Halford had found an old friend, Dr. Nicholson,
amongst the _Morea_ passengers, and was greatly enjoying his voyage;
that day took part in a game of quoits, and cabled from Gibraltar,
"Excellent voyage. All well. Best love." After leaving Gibraltar he
felt out of sorts, and the ship's doctor and Dr. Nicholson, acting
together, found him somewhat feverish. Symptoms of a chill developed,
and on Tuesday he was no better, but after a tempor