DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 123 



From amongst the sedges round an eddy formed 

 by the incoming of a watery ditch a trail of duck 

 commenced a flight that soon formed into an in- 

 verted V which helped to cut the air and made 

 them look as if on military duty bent. I was still 

 watching their flight when I heard that the plank 

 which had formed the bridge over the ditch was 

 broken down. This determined my journey, for a 

 time, but Phil jumped the watery width and advised 

 my commencing to fish opposite where I stood. 



Golden-brown and golden-green leaves varnished 

 by the night's moisture glittered in the sun and 

 fluttered in the breeze as if with independent life 

 and knowledge that they only waited for a little 

 more of both before fulfilling their mission of 

 decorating and renewing the meadows which had 

 already put a yellow tint upon their grasses in 

 honour of their coming. Moorhens chattered 

 merrily, two rats swam across the stream in happy 

 confidence, and a midge had a moment's life in 

 which it sailed a yard or two, fluttered, and was 

 sucked into a mouth waiting its morning meal. A 

 grayling, two pounds at least, rose twice while I 

 was putting my rod and line together but the ditch 

 was a barrier between that fish and me. He rose 

 a third time as if to show that I had thought too 

 little of his weight and added quite a pound to my 

 first estimate. 



I must jump the ditch. Phil did and why not 

 I ? It is not two months since I walked with him 

 over stubble and through turnips until he tired 

 whilst I killed quite clean even after lunch. Look- 

 ing across I saw that the deep boot-prints where he 

 had landed had filled with dark, muddy water and 



