LINES IN PLEASANT PLACES 



shingle previously trodden by Grey ; (2) a guilty-look- 

 ing man, looking up and down stream before making 

 the first cast of a full-sized blue phantom ; (3) the act 

 of casting, well done, and dropping the bait in the 

 exact place required ; (4) the steady winding in of the 

 line with the rod-point kept low ; (5) the phantom and 

 its triangles dangling a yard from the rod-point in mid- 

 air, in pause for a fresh cast ; (6) the bend of the rod 

 as a hooked fish set the winch a-scream ; (7) the figure 

 of a dripping salmon curved in a fine leap out of water ; 

 (8) the retreat of the purist to dry shingle, playing the 

 fish the while with a cool, strong hand ; (9) the tailing 

 out of the fish (with a backward view of the fisherman) ; 

 (10) the slaying of the salmon with a blow from a pebble 

 on the back of the head ; (n) attention to tackle and 

 removal of phantom, fish lying in background ; (12) 

 disappearance of the purist over the stile, dead fish 

 suspended by the right hand, hanging for a moment 

 on near side as fisherman clambered down the off 

 side of stile. 



The three men met later at the rendezvous for the 

 wagonette. Grey and Brown were waiting in a state 

 of suppressed hilarity as the other emerged from the 

 plantation, placidly carrying his salmon by a piece of 

 looped cord. 



" Any sport ? " he asked. Grey explained that he 

 had had none not a rise all day. Yet he had fished the 

 Rowan Pool carefully twice down, and the other pool also. 



" What did he take f " asked Brown, pointing to the 

 bright little lo-pounder. The purist did not trouble 

 to reply in words ; he merely pointed to the fly left 

 in the mouth of the fish. 



" My fingers were numbed," he said presently in a 

 casual sort of way ; " and, as the gut broke off at the 

 head, I just left it there." 



