178 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



the side of the boat into the shallow, and staggered on to 

 the flat ; one wants daily practice to wade neatly on the ooze 

 in big water-boots. Jary assumed at once a different charac- 

 ter. He now ordered me to "Easy a bit!" "Come on!" "Keep 

 the net down ! " in tones of authority which brooked no 

 disputation. 



It is a sorry slip-slod tramp, a mere crawl along the ooze, 

 into which one's boots sink at every step, the mud holding 

 one fast like a trap, out of which one pulls each leg alter- 

 nately, with sucking sounds. The soft, slimy stuff closes 

 directly the boot is withdrawn ; and one had need be sharp 

 sometimes not to leave a boot behind. As the tide drops 

 off the flat the prostrate patches of weed are taken advantage 

 of; for the mud is a little harder around them, and the fronds 

 will prevent so quick a sinking. To the amateur it is leg- 

 wearying work ; and the clothes suffer woefully from the 

 splash of silt and the dripping of muddy water. The pro- 

 fessional Breydoner dresses like a scarecrow, and puts on his 

 begrimed suit daily, adding to the grease and grime and 

 scales of fish of many a previous fishing. He never brushes 

 his clothes but with a boat-mop. 



Crabs with uplifted claws threaten mischief as they 

 scramble away, and shrimps skip about in the puddles. Jary 

 rows steadily along the far side of the drain. 



" When are you coming round ? " I queried impatiently. 

 " Now d'rectly ! " he shouted ; " doan't you worrit ! " 

 So I had to creep on, hanging to the tow-rope, with my end 

 of the net sliding along at the margin of the stream. Presently 

 Jary rowed in, and leaving the boat to run aground at its 

 own time (the tow-rope being fast to a cleat inside her), he 

 seized the rope and began in a stooping manner hauling in 

 the net, keeping the bottom part low, and curved inward. At 

 each double-handed pull the half-circle of the net grew 

 slowly smaller, until when I had joined him more than half 

 the net had come in. In its folds struggled crabs, and here 

 and there a little fish that had gilled itself Such smelts as 

 had done so were adroitly pulled out and thrown towards 

 the basket. Those that missed and most did kicked 

 about in the soft mud until choked, covered, and exhausted 

 by it. 



AH the interest now centred in the few remaining yards of 



