UNDER THE KENT HILLS 255 



The next two hours were spent in walking up — or, 

 rather, in attempting to walk up — partridges on grass, 

 plough, fallow, and roots, but so wild were the birds that 

 only Sj brace were added to the bag. True, a good 



number of hares were set afoot, but, D being a 



staunch supporter and follower of the local pack of 

 harriers, these were left to be hunted by the " currant 

 jelly dogs." 



At one o'clock a halt was called for luncheon in a de- 

 lightfully wooded spot on the banks of the river. During 

 the progress of the al fresco meal, a beautifully marked 

 trout, of at least 3 lb. weight, came up within a few inches 



of the surface of a deep, boulder-strewn pool. H , 



who is an ardent disciple of old Izaak, declared that he 

 would rather have killed that speckled " leviathan " 

 with an artificial fly than all the pheasants in Kent with 

 powder and shot. 



" You might just as well throw your cap at him as a 



fly," replied D . " I have tried the wily old brute 



with every pattern of fly and kind of bait under the sun 

 for the last ten years, but devil a rise or run did I ever 

 get from him. One of the village lads got hold of him 

 once with a bit of bread and an eel-hook, but when the 

 youngster tried to haul the prize out stickleback fashion, 

 his bamboo rod was smashed, lock, stock, and barrel." 



A few red worms were dug out of the light soil 

 and cast to the speckled giant, who, having con- 

 descended to take a dozen or so of the toothsome 

 morsels into his capacious mouth, sank from view 



