of any help to you," said Meldon, "you can count on me. I have a good deal of natural talent for ambuscades. Trot out the details of your scheme, and I'll be able to tell you in two words whether it's workable or not." 

 "They do say," said Doyle, "that he has the fishing let to an English gentleman; and he's mighty particular about preserving it. Now the doctor here has the name of being a good fisherman." 

 "If he goes poaching," said Meldon, "he'll get the worst of it. The Major appears to have tried that on, and he simply made things unpleasant for himself, without annoying Simpkins in the least." 

 "It's not poaching we're thinking of," said Doyle; "but—you know I'm a magistrate these times, on account of being the Chairman of the Urban Council." 

 "I know that; but if you're thinking of dragging up Simpkins before the Petty Sessions on a bogus charge, you may as well put the idea out of your head at once. It won't work. You'll have the Major on the Bench with you, and though he doesn't like the man, I don't think he'd commit him to prison for cruelty to children, or breaking windows while under the influence of drink, or anything of that sort, unless he'd really done it." 

 "I wouldn't do the like," said Doyle, "and no more would the doctor." 

 "Our plan," said the doctor, "is to get a salmon, a large salmon." 

 "Poach it?" said Meldon. 

 "No; buy it. Doyle would buy it. Then he'd give it to me in the presence of several witnesses—" 

 "Sabina would do for one," said Meldon, "She's a most intelligent girl, and I'm sure she'd swear anything afterwards that she was wanted to." 

 "She wouldn't have to swear anything but the truth," said Doyle. 

 "Of course not," said Meldon.  "But lots of people won't do even that." 

 "I'd go up the river," said Dr. O'Donoghue, "and I'd take my rod and landing-net and the salmon with me, and I'd sit down on the bank and wait." 

 "Simpkins," said Doyle, "does be walking up along the river every evening, so the doctor wouldn't be there for very long before he'd be caught." 

 "I see," said Meldon.  "The idea would be for Simpkins to prosecute the 

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