A SPRING DAY WITH "BOB' 49 



have thought that we were miles away from a busy 

 working world. We met no one, and most likely 

 would not do so until we got back to the village 

 at night. 



This was my first real outing with " Bob," and the 

 outcome of the promise that when the rudiments 

 of casting had been mastered he would take me to 

 fresh water. The winter evening apprentice was 

 now on the way to actual practice and felt serenely 

 happy. I remember trying to keep step with him, 

 so imbued was I with the idea of living up to the 

 great honour he was doing me. The consciousness 

 of a certain timing of the master's stride was 

 present, and I noticed how his right foot always 

 seemed to drop into its proper resting-place, as we 

 crossed the rough ditches, without any interruption 

 to the rhythm of his pace. 



Shortly we emerged from the old wood into a 

 large, open, rough pasture, where the peewits flew 

 around us, and the curlews rose with swift flight 

 and plaintive cry from the marshy places. 



Wild Boar Fell at the southern end of the valley 

 came into view, and " Bob " remarked that, as the 

 night mist was rising to its top, we should have a fine 

 day. "If iwer yer to be a fisherman worth yer saut 

 ye'll hev to ken summat aboot t' weather." It is of 

 no use trying to give expression to " Bob " apart 



D 



