A SURREY RIVER. 125 



would ask defiantly. After a time a sort of comrade- 

 ship was established between us ; and we would in- 

 form each other in what direction along the river we 

 were likely to wander, although of course words when 

 fishing were few and far between. " Quiet and out of 

 sight/' he would say ; " if you can see a fish, the fish 

 can see you." 



Very quietly I made my way down to him, and 

 to my whispered question "What luck?" he pointed 

 to a good heap, a little on one side of him, covered 

 over with flags. " Perch," said he ; "I have not 

 shifted from here all day, but I am going now. I 

 shall pack up, and neatly too. I can't bear to see 

 beautiful fish tumbled about anyhow." He was quite 

 right : a catch of fish shows to better advantage 

 placed neatly, carefully spread on rushes or flags; 

 and they eat better too, when they come to table, 

 from not having been bruised or tumbled about. 



" Full or empty ? " he asked, pointing to my basket. 



Slinging it round, I opened the lid for his inspec- 

 tion. First he lifted the plump gudgeons lovingly 

 up with his finger and thumb, then the perch, and 

 lastly the trout. After inspecting them, he care- 

 fully replaced them in their green coverings of flags, 



