91 



descended tlie trunk of the tree backwards, dashing at her 

 Avhenever there was a chance of doing so without risk. Thia 

 was the beginning of the fight, and it has since gone on 

 every day, whenever the cat shows herself. Even when she 

 is lying asleep on the ground, in the sun, Master Blackie 

 sits on a post close by and reviles her, and sometimes he 

 hops around her in a circle with as much fierceness as a 

 game cock, uttering fierce notes of defiance. The cat makes 

 occasional dashes at him, and eventually settles down 

 and pretends to ignore him. But she is on the pounce, all 

 the time, and I much fear that Master Blackie will 

 presently lose his life in one of these encounters. 



The accompanying illustr'atian of " An .Angler's Hut 

 on the Darenth" is the headquarters of our small club; 

 and the " Man Friday ' is there shown, reproaching us for 

 being late for lunch. iSTo man is a hero to his valet ; and 

 " Friday " has no sjTnpathy with the folly of men who 

 wall linger bej'ond the meal hour over a rising trout, that 

 won't taiie, and let chops and potatoes get cold. 



Trout fishing has in our Kentish valley greatly improved 

 within the past two weeks — thanks to the warmer nights 

 — and some very fine bags have been made. The Darenth 

 is very low and bright, but wath gossamer gut and small 

 flies the trout have taken fi"eely. I killed the " Darenth 

 Ghost " last Saturday. A perfectly white trout, save for 

 the spots which are common to all his family. We have 

 known the '"Ghost" for the past three years, his habitat 

 being limited to about 60 yards of the river — -s^-ith a deep 

 pool at either end. Some mention of this fish made by 

 me in print brought a long and leaitned letter from a 

 German professor to an angling paper. Tfe proved to his 

 own entire satisfaction that the " Ghost " was blind. That 

 the loss of colour was due to the loss of eyesight, entailing 

 a consequent failui'c in the secretion of certain pigments 

 which furnish the external colourings of trout. TVe were 

 all deeply impressed by the learning of the professor, and 

 asked him to tell us some more. But when I spotted the 

 " Ghost " last Saturdav, in the upper pool of his territory, 

 he was behavins: in a verv strange manner for a blind fish. 



