The net was thrown out, but failed; and, what was most unusual, the labour of Zed and Phil was continued for several hours without the capture even of a solitary eel. Phil often thought Zed threw out the net very wildly, and imagined the liquor he took at the wedding had not yet spent its effects on him; but the blind man could not be sure, for Zed seemed resolutely taciturn.
'Twas about ten in the forenoon that Phil felt the little boat was "brought up,"—he thought in an inlet, or small creek, on the Lindsey side of the Trent, after they had laboured with nets and lines ever since a little after sunrise, and all without a single instance of success.——
"Phil, d'ye know why I've pulled in here this morning?" said Zed, as he was mooring the skiff.
"No, by'r leddy!" answered the old-fashioned fiddler, "I can't tell, for the life of me! but it seems to me that you've pulled in at Burton Folly,—have you not, Zed? and what's the meaning of it?"
"Look sharp, Phil!" said Zed, briskly helping Phil out of the boat, "we've had hard luck in the water this morning, but we'll try our luck on land for once: we'll have one or two of 'Squire Hutton's pheasants before we leave the holt."
"'Don't say so till you're sure!'" said Phil, for that was a common saying with him, as I hinted before; "I wish I could look sharp, as you bid me, Zed,—for I'll be hanged if you are not tearing my poor legs among the whins, like old pork, as the saying goes."
"The deuce I am!" exclaimed Zed, slackening his pace; "I wouldn't hurt you, for all the world, Phil: but you know it's worth while trying to catch a pheasant or two,—they're such fine game."
"I don't know, Zed," rejoined Phil, "whether it be worth while or not: we may get into a scrape by it, as old as we are, and——"
"Pshaw!" cried Zed, with an air of resolute contempt; "come along, Phil!—come along!"
"O come along, ay!" said Phil; "I shall go with you, if you go to the very devil!—but then I don't see what's the use of going there, yet,—as old 'Squire Pimpleface used to say, when he gave up playing cards at Saturday midnight, and refused, ever after to play on Sunday mornings——"