56 THREE FISH 



he was. What cared I what his size might be 

 Enough that the charm was broken, the wizard was 

 beat. 



Never a word said the old Digger, nothing beyond 

 a grunt. Only he wrapped his blanket round him 

 and strode away to join his squaws. 



Fish the Second. 



Through a garrison town on the south coast runs 

 a little stream. Showing now, now running on 

 beneath the streets, it empties at last into the 

 harbour by a small sluice-gate. But above the 

 town, away up among the chalk hills, it is a 

 beautiful trout stream, though . the fish do not run 

 very large. 



At one point of its progress is a big mill-pond. 

 When the mill is not at work, the stream runs by 

 other gates right beneath the miller's house. And 

 here the water is deep — ten feet deep perhaps — but 

 so clear that in the sunshine everything upon the 

 bottom may be plainly seen. And two big fish were 

 always lying here^ one with a broad white scar upon 

 his shoulder. Many had tried to take them, but 

 without success. Apparently they never moved. I 

 tried them myself with the worm; letting it gently 



