LINES IN PLEASANT PLACES 



GENERAL (moving off to the next meadow, and com- 

 manding a deep bend, the haunt of heavy trout) : I 

 suppose I have lost the trick ; but catch them I can't. 

 I have risen six fish, and lost the only ones that took 

 me. Here's the keeper. What are they doing at the 

 ford, Harvey ? 



HARVEY : The master's got four, General, and he 

 wants you to come down. The shallow's all alive, 

 and they are taking well. There's a trout, sir, at the 

 tail of that weed. 



GENERAL (casting a loose line) : Missed it again, by 

 Jove ! Why was that, Harvey ? 



HARVEY (coughing slightly) : Well, General, if you 

 ask me, I fancy you had too much slack on the water. 

 You'll have a better chance on the sharp stream below. 

 Let me carry your rod, sir. (Hitches fly in small ring.) 

 No wonder, General, the fish got off : the barb's gone 

 from the hook. 



GENERAL (pacing downwards) : That's it, is it ? 

 Nobody knows better than I that after a fish balks at 

 the hook, one should examine the point. Yet I preach 

 without practice. Ah, me ! I'm not in it. 



R. O. (genially greeting, and wading out of the 

 shallow) : Come along, General ; they are rising well, 

 fly and fish both ; and this is a bit of water where 

 they generally mean business. Good luck to you ! 

 There's a grand trout a little higher up, look. He 

 takes every fly that sails over to him. Pitch your 

 Champion just four inches before his nose, and he's a 

 gone coon. 



GENERAL (encouraged and inspired, casting with 

 confidence ; and, believing that he is going to be suc- 

 cessful, succeeding) : Tou are all right, my spotted 

 enemy (playing the fish down stream firmly). Come 

 along, Harvey, no quarter ; get below those flags, and 



