ALLOTMENT OF THE WATERS 155 



than they did. There was evidence of it even 

 before the search began, for every man from far 

 and near who meant to take a part turned up at 

 the hour fixed for the allotment of the waters, 

 determined to get his rights. This unusual pro- 

 cedure had been adopted at the instance of the 

 squire, in order to avoid the disputes and bad 

 blood which he foresaw would arise unless the 

 beats were formally assigned before the season 

 opened. 



Raftra, in his ■ Annals of our Village,' gives a 

 very full account of the meeting. It took place 

 at the Druid's Arms, with Reuben Gribble, the 

 landlord, in the chair. Between him and the 

 red-bearded water-bailiff sat the venerable tenant 

 of the Home Farm, called in ostensibly on account 

 of his wide knowledge of the streams, but really 

 because of his well-known powers of conciliation, 

 which were needed as soon as the business of the 

 evening began. The chief difficulty was with 

 Sandy, the bailiff, who claimed by virtue of his 

 office the whole length of the river, from Tide 

 End to Lone Tarn. Though he was one against 

 a score, counting the men in the doorway, he 

 seemed bent on maintaining the unreasonable 

 position he had taken up. When the miller and 

 the moorman asked him for the reaches which 



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