THE ARM OF THE LAW 133 



" Oh, yes, sir, I am sure that's all right," replied 

 he. But all the same I saw him looking up the 

 books. It is a sound motto for bank clerks, 

 water-bailiffs, or anybody in a position of trust or 

 responsibility, to take nothing for granted. 



The first water-bailiff I struck that seems 

 an unfortunate word now 1 see it set down ! 

 but it is only the colonial word for " met " was 

 early on in Cornwall. The usual greetings took 

 place, with the same " pleased-to-meet-you " kind 

 of conversation, followed in this instance by a 

 speedy plunge into the subject of licences. That 

 proved all right. And then, as generally happens 

 with a fisherman new to the district, there was 

 a series of questions which elicited sound in- 

 struction as to the right size and kind of fly, 

 the best spots, and so on. It necessarily takes 

 a stranger days or weeks, you may even say 

 years, to understand a river's full fishing values, 

 and the help which a thoughtful water-bailiff can 

 give is very considerable. 



Another interesting meeting was with the 

 head water-keeper on a big estate, where a day's 

 fishing had been kindly given me. He was an 

 interesting man, from whom much could be 

 learned. He understood most matters, I should 

 imagine, connected with trout, and he had that 

 good Scots' accent which from boyhood has always 

 made such an appeal to me. It was early in the 

 year, and when he came along 1 already had 

 several trout. Feeling a bit tired, I asked him 

 to take a hand and try niy rod. It is a good rod, 



