4 

 THE SIGHT AND HEARING OF TROUT 



OCCASIONALLY " Bob " would talk to his little band 

 of followers about the peculiarities of trout. He 

 never talked to us of set purpose, and as the paid 

 teacher, and it was always some boyish argument, 

 or odd remark, that set him going. The little things 

 that were constantly happening at the riverside 

 provided us with a kind of jungle lore. The things 

 he said to us would probably not have been said to 

 grown men. He had a sense of his own simplicity 

 of outlook, and knew that we should always listen in 

 an understanding way. 



The grown man, whose surmises had developed 

 into conviction, retained, in spite of years, the fresh- 

 ness and wonder of boys, and a book could be 

 written on the enthralling conversations that took 

 place between us. 



Perhaps we might have a freshly caught trout 

 lying, sparkling on the grass to us the most 



beautiful thing in creation when some allusion 



165 



