246 TROUT FISHING 



doubt, of dinner, the day's lack of sport, the weather, 

 and such other things as have filled the minds of 

 returning anglers since time immemorial. To them 

 appeared a fourth, a member of the Public, whom I 

 will make bold to conceal as Agricola, and some 

 conversation took place by the side of what some call 

 a carrier, others a drawn, others a ditch, others an 

 eligible bit of fishing, two miles of it, one on each side. 



Then to all four appeared a trout, which rose twice 

 within tempting distance. A trout which rises 

 twice when you are going home (according to my 

 experience) is not a fish to be disregarded, and I am 

 not a bit surprised that one of the anglers at once 

 unlimbered for the attack. Nor, I must add, am I 

 surprised that the attack ended abruptly in the 

 flight of the trout I know the carrier in which he 

 lives, and if I have not known him, I have known 

 several of his brothers. To continue, the trout was 

 visible in the clear, shallow water, a rapidly diminish- 

 ing form, and the anglers, recognising the inevitable, 

 were for continuing their progress in the opposite 

 direction. 



Then Agricola rose to the occasion. Was he, 

 a member of the Public, to suffer the unfortunate 

 disciples of Walton to go away discomfited while 

 he had legs to run and arms to wave ? Not he. 

 Like the intelligent sheep-dog of the mountain, he 

 was after the trout to turn it in its tracks, and to 



