ANGLING COUSINS AT THE VICARAGE 99 



floated well, but swiftly came down to the fair prac- 

 titioner. Some trouble followed in gaining the deli- 

 cate touch of line and winch, and knack of recovery 

 essential to workmanlike up-stream casting, but the 

 amiable pupil, being a listener rather than a talker, was 

 quick to learn, and the lesson was over when the vicar 

 arrived. To him Lammy soon contrived to explain 

 that she was left on the bank, or, rather, paddling 

 below in the shallow, ignored and lamenting. They 

 were therefore left to operate in company while the 

 others crossed the bridge and sought fresh water a little 

 higher up the shallow. 



Though there was no idea of catching fish that even- 

 ing, fortune smiled upon the placid Blind. Obeying 

 cousin's order to drop the fly between two well-defined 

 patches of weed up-stream, she achieved a neat cast 

 straight and clean to the desired spot. The fly, with 

 the evening light showing it startlingly distinct, had 

 not travelled three inches before something took it 

 fiercely, and the winch was heard as sweet harmony. 

 Neither of the operators had reckoned upon this. Cousin 

 dared not speak at such a momentous crisis. Blind 

 was startled into a little " oh," and, as he might have 

 been sure without protestations, she kept cool, and re- 

 membered precisely the order of procedure which he 

 had expounded in theory at odd times on the lawn 

 point of rod raised, winch left free but still at ready 

 command, fish to be humoured, and no excitement. 

 The battle was really over if she maintained her pre- 

 sence of mind, and in this she failed not. 



The rod top was nid-nodding sweetly, the hand 

 gently turning the reel handle, the fish held and guided. 

 All was well. " What shall I do, cousin, now ? " she 

 asked. " Take it easy," he answered from the bank; 

 " walk gently out towards me, don't slacken the line, 



