THE ANGLERS SOUVENIR. 



287 



town seem to stifle me ; and I long for a glorious 

 ramble, rod in hand, as much as I ever did. 



Following close upon the perusal of such a book, 

 and the feelings awakened by it, I was pleased 

 beyond measure to find myself possessed of a few 

 days of leisure, and once more in the border-land 

 of Wales. I took care to make the most of my 

 time, and seize the opportunity of renewing my 

 acquaintance with some of those charming spots 

 " / / w '*h wn ich, as an angler and a writer, I had in 

 times past identified myself. 



One day I spent in tracing the wanderings of 

 the burn whence many a lusty trout had been 

 transferred to my pannier. Another afternoon I 

 set out for a carp-pool, not the carp-pool par 

 excellence of our boyish days, but one nearly as 

 good, where I had caught some six-pounders years 

 ago. I walked to the place it was two miles and 

 a half away burdened with three rods and a huge 

 bagful of worms, intent upon slaughter. I neared ij 

 the field ; I crossed the hedge. I stood still and 

 gazed in astonishment. I rubbed my eyes and 

 looked again. There was no pool there. I walked 

 round the field, and across the field, which was 

 strewn with clumps of rushes. A peewit had laid 

 four eggs on the very spot, as I calculated, where 

 I had hooked my biggest carp. A small boy hove 

 in sight. I seized him, and asked him where the 

 pool had gone. He answered, " Whoy, mun, it ha' 

 been drained dry these three years." I sat upon 



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