AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 295 



in the cottager's kitchen garden, on the little island 

 above Hythe End Mill. I little thought that the 

 fulfilment of that promise would so nearly have cost 

 me my life. 



" As you know, I am prepared to run a step or 

 two, and to risk a train or so, to get my flowers, 

 and when I ran back to-night it was with a light 

 toe and a lighter heart, as we had had a good 

 day's sport. I had pleasant friends to meet, a 

 good home to go to, and an angel's smile to 

 greet me. 



" Few appeared the jumps and strides necessary 

 to bring me to the cottage, and, within five minutes 

 of my leaving you, I had obtained permission and 

 gathered a score of roses, and was in the act of 

 bounding back over the plank-wide hand bridge, 

 when the old woman appeared, scissors in hand, 

 at the other end. Jump over her I could not, as 

 I was too close, and to stop myself I clutched the 

 rail, which snapped, and I was precipitated head- 

 first into the water. Unfortunately for me, the 

 weeds had been cut above, and had gathered 

 there in a thick decaying mass, which, while it 

 permitted my head to force its way through, 

 resolutely refused a passage to my heels, and I 

 found myself in this awful predicament that my 

 heels remained in the air and the whole weight 

 of my body was thrown on to my head, which 

 was fast sinking into the thick black mud. 



" How long this lasted I can only guess. I 



