On th^ Banks of the Avon 63 



amount of money. The exchange was quickly 

 made and I felt that I was on the high road to 

 fortune. I could discern vast possibilities in the 

 sale of fish, but, alas, the best laid plans of boys, 

 "gang aft agley." Opportunity never came 

 knocking at my door in the form of half-dollars 

 for a few chubs again. 



A FAVOURITE POOL 



On holidays small armies of boys used to wan- 

 der along the banks of the Avon and, beside fish- 

 ing, there were many baths taken. One favourite 

 old swimmin' hole was known as "The Mud- 

 turtle. ' ' It was a fine pool, at a bend in the river, 

 with shade trees on one side, and, in the centre 

 of the stream, there was a large flat stone upon 

 which, when the water was low, mud-turtles used 

 to bask in the sun. Throwing stones at those tur- 

 tles was one of the rare sports but I have no recol- 

 lection that any youthful David ever hit one. I'd 

 like to paint a word picture of all the beauty spots 

 along that stream of my boyhood's dreams be- 

 cause, despite modern evidence to the contrary, in 

 earlier days it was a beautiful little river. There 

 were trees along its banks in many places, haw- 

 thorns, butternuts, and beeches and it wound 

 about, in and out, through many attractive wood- 

 land ways. 



