198 O'er Crag and Torrent 



and close to the opposite bank. Plop ! I 

 had him. The man was excited and the fish 

 very much astonished, and between the two 

 emotions the latter saved his life. No longer 

 was my barbed hook fixed in the nose of a 

 trout, but in a detestable hazel bush. The 

 curious and sharp of sight may see it there, 

 and half a cast, to this day, well out of reach 

 an ornament to any river and a warning to 

 posterity. Sorry am I to admit the riot of 

 my tongue, but so it was, and earth, river, 

 and sky around me became black, and burned 

 brimstone and blue lights. Misfortune is best 

 regretted and forgotten. The rest of the 

 long pool to the wooden footbridge which 

 here spans the stream gave up two of 

 its finny denizens hardy, fighting little 

 quarter-pounders. 



Below the terror - striking " Notice 

 Trespassers," etc., there is some very pretty 

 and good water, but somehow or other no 



