96 BY MEADOW AND STREAM. 



sure that trout have their play time like the big bipeds 

 who love to play with them. 



These trout were not a bit shy, as most trout are. 

 Of course, with their heads in the mud, they could not 

 see us, and their sense of hearing must be very slight 

 I all but caught a whopper by slyly putting the net 

 under his body, but he was not to be caught in that 

 improper way. 



We stood or squatted in that shed till its apparently 

 waterproof covering of old rat -hole thatch became a 

 a sieve, and the rain came through with as much free- 

 dom as it came down outside. 



They had sent us from the railway hotel a basket of 

 provisions and a big jar of beer, and as lunch time had 

 arrived we tried, each of us, to find a dry corner 

 in which to consume it, but a dry spot could not be 

 found. My umbrella served me well, but the others 

 had to eat their food soaked with rain-water. Our 

 provisions had been brought down by a farm labourer, 

 and the Major, with his usual magnificent but rather 

 thoughtless liberality, had told him and a companion 

 who had joined him to help themselves to some beer 

 while we were away fishing and they did. When we 

 came to our jar we found it necessary to tilt it to an 

 angle of about 75 degrees from the perpendicular 

 before a drop of beer would come out. Our share 

 amounted to about half a tumbler each out of this haif- 

 gallon jar. 



Presently, when we had finished our repast, these 

 two youths turned up, and, seeing the plight we were 

 in, politely invited us to take shelter in a neighbour- 

 ing barn. This refuge was at least quite dry, and 



