266 BY THE RIVER. 



could under the circumstances. Sam shut 

 him up again, and proceeded to take down his 

 flies from the casting line, substituting a long 

 piece of gut with a single hook to it, with a 

 grain of small shot fastened close to the hook, 

 he takes a bluebottle as though he loves 

 him. 



" I thought the oak-fly would be better, 

 Sam." 



" Not at all, sir, not at all ; have'nt half the 

 life in him the blue-bottles have ; an' besides, 

 I catches bigger trout with the 'bottles. Let 

 us try under the little fall beyant." 



" Beyant " was half a mile, at least, through 

 the undergrowth of briar, that sent out a sweet 

 scent as we pressed it ; through a grand avenue 

 of foliage, that rose above us like the pillars 

 and arches of a noble minster. 



"Asy, sir! asy!" whispered Sam, who be- 

 lieved in the sharp hearing of trout (which I 

 do not). " Asy, sir! and I think we ought to 

 get something here." 



The brook falls about a foot amongst a 

 group of rocks, and bubbles and swirls into a 

 pool, on which some snow-white flocks of foam 



