288 



THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



a gate and smoked four cigarettes ; then walked 

 home, my rods feeimg twice as heavy as when I 

 came that way. 



I was to be recompensed, however, for my dis- 

 appointment by a day at the carp-pool on the hill 

 at Craigyrhiw, Coed-y-gar, or Penycoed, for it 

 goes by all three names, the first being the most 

 proper. By accident I met an old friend from a 

 distance, who, when he heard where I was bound 

 to, offered to accompany me. I was glad of his 

 companionship for more than one reason. He had 

 affected to disbelieve my accounts of the big fish 

 to be caught there, and this was an opportunity of 

 vindicating myself from the charge of exaggeration. 

 He got his rods, and we started, pausing on the 

 way to get a couple of small Melton Mowbray pies 

 for lunch. My friend, whom I shall call A., left the 

 commissariat department to me ; and I, having 

 just had a good breakfast, did not contemplate 

 the possibility of becoming very hungry during tho 

 day, so considered we should have quite sufficient 

 to recruit ourselves with. Leaving the town, wo 

 passed under the beautiful avenue of limes in the 

 churchyard, musical with rooks and sweet with 

 spring fragrance, and so on to Oswald's Well. 

 Under a tree close by, King Oswald fell in battle, 

 and out of the ground afterward sprang water, said 

 to be endowed with healing power. The well is 

 neatly arched over with stone, and has the effigy 

 of King Oswald at the back ; but the latter offered 





