A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS. 209 



monotony of this arrangement was broken now and 

 again by a pleasing variety of boulder which elected to 

 rock to and fro when fairly entrusted with the weight 

 of the human body, the rocking motion usually getting 

 into working order as soon as confidence in stability 

 had been acquired, apparently so that ejectment might 

 the more easily be effected. Still, boulders will be 

 boulders in their own sweet way. 



About fifteen yards from the water^s edge a few 

 sunken rocks reared their moss-grown heads some inches 

 above the surface, as if to ascertain what was going on 

 in the world above, and suggesting that, if but gained, 

 they would afford an easier path, and most certainly a 

 perfect command of the catch. 



Such proved to be the case, for after wading middle- 

 deep out to them, the water became a foot or so shallower, 

 but the bed was rough as ever; however, we were 

 thankful for small mercies. 



We put the hoop of the salmon-net over the crest of 

 a boulder, thinking it would be handy if required, and 

 prepared to cast with a minnow, as at this point (the 

 neck of the pool) the water boiled too much for any fly ; 

 when after a cast or two we spied a curious-looking 

 article floating down the pool a few yards below us, 

 which turned out be our net on a voyage of discovery 

 on its own account. We made a cast for it with the 

 minnow and were fortunate in throwing clean over it, 

 but, contrary to their usual habit, neither would have 

 anything to do with the other : this was the exception 



p 



