ters, with disastrous results, for in less than three minutes every
one of them had hooked a fish--and lost it.

"Ye're no fishing for finnickin' graylin', or such like pretty-pretties
av of the ould counthry," said the old convict patronisingly, as his
toothless mouth expanded into a grin. "These blue-nosed devils would
break the heart and soul av the best greenheart as was iver grown. Lay
down thim sthicks an' take wan of these," and he pointed to some thick
lines, ready coiled and baited with pieces of raw beef. "Just have thim
out into the wather, and hould on like grim death--that's all. Sure the
boys here have taught me a mighty lot I niver larned before."

Our visitors "hived" out the already baited lines, and caught a dozen
or more of splendid fish, varying from 6 lbs. to 10 lbs. in weight, and
then, as a drenching downpour of rain blotted out everything around us,
we went home, leaving our take with Billy, with the exception of two
or three of the largest, which we brought home with us for supper. He
whispered to my brothers and myself that he would give us "ten bob" for
the lot; and as the old villain's money was extremely useful to us, and
our parents knew nothing about our dealings with the ancient reprobate,
we cheerfully agreed to the "ten bob" suggestion.

But, as I have said, Nemesis was near to William Duggan, Esq., over
this matter of the black bream, for on the following Tuesday Lieut.
H------happened across the leading fishmonger's shop in Hunter Street,
where there were displayed several splendid black bream. One of these,
he noticed, had a large piece bitten out of the back, and he at once
recognised it. He stepped inside and asked the black-moustached Grecian
gentleman who attended to the counter the price of the fish, and where
they were caught.

"Nine shillings each, sir. They are a very scarce fish, and we get them
only from one man, an old fellow who makes his living by catching them
in Mosman's Bay. We give him five shillings each for every fish over 6
lbs., and seven-and-sixpence for every one over 10 lbs. No one else but
this old fellow can catch black bream of this size. He knows the trick."

H----, thinking he was doing us boys a good turn, wrote a line to our
father, telling him in a humorous manner all about this particular
wretched back-bitten black bream which he had recognised, and the price
he had been asked for it. Then my father, having no sense of humour,
gave us, one and all