CLEAR WATERS 



almost imperceptibly, into quite shallow water, whence 

 I could obviously command much of the great seeth- 

 ing pool. So I proceeded with all the usual circum- 

 spection of an habitual wader into the shallow water 

 which covered the smooth floor. In a moment both 

 heels went up and I slithered right in. Not into the 

 pool, thank heaven, but into about three feet of water 

 at its edge. And even as I went down the memory of 

 the past flashed through my brain, and before I 

 reached a sitting position, up to my chin this time, I 

 knew precisely why it was that I had always fished the 

 pool from the other shore with all its difficulties. I 

 am no geologist, but those particular slabs had a coat 

 of glass upon them that the most recently nailed of 

 brogues could not possibly have gripped. I had 

 known this well in former days from some only less 

 harrowing experience, but the fact had flown some- 

 how from the brain cell in which it was stored, to my 

 complete undoing. As I was scrambling out, a chill 

 and miserable object, the keeper turned up. But that 

 was of no use. Neither his eloquent sympathy nor 

 his clothes were any good to me. Despite his forcible 

 protestations I emptied my waders of water and went 

 on fishing, though I suppose I should have known 

 a great deal better at my time of life. But no harm 

 came of it, and I always have had a stout faith in the 

 innocuous qualities of trout-holding water. I never 

 caught a cold in my life through getting wet out 

 fishing. 



There are both pike (unfortunately) as well as gray- 

 ling in the Dee ; also salmon and sea-trout in their 

 season. Upon the former, handsome and shapely 

 68 



