THE ARM OF THE LAW 131 



those richly-plumed wild duck in flight by Eyton 

 Rock. I came to Cound all the more gladly for 

 the recurring thought that already I held a Severn 

 licence ! But I did not get even a stray grayling. 

 The water was beginning to run into order, and 

 I had seen a good fish rise near Eyton Rock way, 

 when down came the rain from the hills, as they 

 say, and for a fortnight or so fly-fishing was 

 impossible. 



Instead of fishing, therefore, I turned to and 

 wrote some of this book. The landlord and 

 landlady of one of the homeliest, cleanest-roomed, 

 brightest-shining, most-severely polished little 

 hotels in all the United Kingdom, showed sym- 

 pathy in my literary labours, and placed every 

 convenience most kindly at my disposal. Soon, 

 what with pages of manuscript and sheaves of 

 notes, the trout were rising all over the table. 



But I must return to my water-bailiff's from 

 whom I have wandered. These functionaries 

 come on you so quietly. The soft turf helps 

 them. Usually you are so intent on your casting 

 that the first sign of them to reach you is a cheery 

 " Good morning, sir ! " or " Good afternoon, 

 sir ! " If the water-bailiff" is an Irishman, there 

 will be added : " And it's good sport I hope ye'll 

 be having ! " It is all a preliminary canter ; a 

 sort of conversational hors tTauvre, leading up to 

 the piece de resistance : "Will you kindly show 

 me your licence, sir?" The nearest thing to 

 the water-bailiff's quiet arrival on the scene that 

 I remember was the advent of our Colonel, him- 



