5^ THREE FISH 



Now it was impossible to work a minnow properly 



in this pool, especially at night, because the water was 



S-z/c ^ full of vernal water-starwort that everywhere stood up 



''■ from the bottom in great solid pillars of emerald 



green. 



'^^V^'^^^ J But I had a small but heavy silver minnow — the 



name of the pattern I forget, but every one knows it. 



If you sink them rapidly they spin freely by their own 



weight. This I took and slipped off to the pond, 



- which was three miles or so away. 



The short remaining time of daylight was spent in 

 studying as minutely as possible the geography of the 

 weeds. Every little channel I tried to learn by heart, 

 and every lump of weed all round the immediate 

 spot. And then I sat on the wall and waited. 



For there was a wall round the mill end of the pool, 

 and from the foot of the wall a stoned escarpment 

 followed down, curved to the water- edge. By the 

 wall ran the cart-road, and across this was the miller's 

 house, not seven yards from where I sat. I could see 

 the miller's wife and daughter working at their sewing 

 machines by the light of two parafifin lamps. 



It was dark now — time for the deed to be done. 

 Lightly the minnow was swung out over the wall and 

 dropped upon the pool. 



