THE TWA DOGS 91 



some way is almost impossible, and they go back 

 to the water with some injury to their health, 

 never to be recovered. On the whole it is, per- 

 haps, more merciful to kill them at once. But 

 for this sentimental trouble I might, in an hour 

 or two, have got hold of many a big one, but I 

 forbore. 



In the afternoon I strolled down by the river 

 without my rod, the sun brightly shining, ac- 

 companied by our hospitable friend the Captain 

 and his rod. Of course he knows every fish in 

 his own water, but he could not get a rise. 



The " Major " had started with me in the morn- 

 ing. We fished together for an hour. He then 

 quietly suggested that I had better go on up 

 stream, and he would follow. I did not see him 

 again all day. I supposed he had gone off down 

 the river for a last visit to his club water, but in 

 fact he had followed me up on the other side, and 

 had gone just above the weir I have mentioned, 

 and there in the compass of two hundred yards 

 he remained for several hours, and turned up 

 eventually at our inn with a nice basket of trout, 

 four brace of fish from fib. to lilb., a good 

 average for this stream. 



THE TWA DOGS. 



The Captain has a couple of dogs, one of 

 them a large black spaniel, the other a yellow 



