64 WATERSIDE SKETCHES. 



the Loddon, the Kennet, with their numerous feeders, are 

 brought nearer and nearer to us as the powerful railway 

 company, like an insatiable ogre, every year sweeps in- 

 creasing territory within its capacious maw. 



In a brief space of time the train was at West Drayton, 

 where the mellow fading sunlight slanted across the 

 Thorney Broad water, and revealed on the willow-lined 

 banks rods flashing like bayonets. In a few minutes we 

 crossed the narrow Iver, with just a glimpse, through the 

 elms up the meadows, of the bridge, by which doubtless 

 lay trout, over which since the first day of the season 

 many a fly had been thrown. At Slough there might be 

 seen upon the up platform a small contingent of return- 

 ing anglers who had been honouring the ist of June on 

 the Thames at Eton. These were for the most part gay 

 parties of young ladies and gentlemen who had been com- 

 bining a large measure of picnicing with a soup$on of ang- 

 ling ; who had been, in short, using the rod and line as a 

 justification for and aid to flirtation. It was at Maiden- 

 head, Taplow, Reading, and the higher stations the real 

 anglers were to be found ; there they clustered, leaning 

 tired on their rods, recounting their day's experiences. 

 And soon, the last bit of gold having been extracted by 

 greedy nightfall from the sky, it was meet to settle cosily 

 into the corner to doze, and see visions of speckled trout 

 and silvery salmon. 



The Dart, with whose upper waters I proposed to make 

 intimate acquaintance with all speed, is crossed by the 

 South Devon line at Totnes, and I had an opportunity of 

 reconnoitring it at unexpected and unusual leisure. A 

 deep sleep had sealed our eyelids as we ran down close to 



