28 EASY-CHAIR MEMORIES 



and up among the hills where I had been a 

 year ago. There were only two rods among 

 us, the rest were girls; they are christened 

 " Madcap Margerie," " Merrie Mirrie," and 

 " Molly the Artist " (that same pretty hazel- 

 eyed little Mary who, years and years ago, held 

 a big dish at the door, with solemn face and 

 laughing eyes, to receive the contents of my 

 empty basket). It was good to have them with 

 us, because they kept us alive, boiled our kettle, 

 made our tea in a charming little wooded en- 

 closure by the river, and, generally speaking, 

 made themselves useful. It was a hot day 

 one of those 88 degrees in the shade days re- 

 corded in the London newspapers. To fish in the 

 open stream in such a state of things was hope- 

 less. I sought a spot in some way shaded by 

 rocks or trees, where the water did not reflect 

 the bright sun such spots were few and far 

 between. After tea I had strolled up to one 

 of these shady nooks, and in getting down to 

 the water over the slippery shale I fell down 

 backwards, and in doing so smashed the rim 

 of my net in two. I had no sooner done this 

 than I heard a shouting and screaming, and, 

 looking up, yonder was pretty Molly rushing 



