EASY-CHAIR MEMORIES 45 



It is true there are among them a few im- 

 petuous young upstarts, full of the self-conceit 

 that has led some of them into trouble. You 

 will know them by their sides, which are 

 iridescent with the many colours of the rain- 

 bow ; they have but recently arrived from a 

 foreign country, they are full of pluck, and if 

 they do get into trouble they will fight like 

 heroes to get out of it, and the old Chess 

 trout will look calmly on. Go and try them, 

 my children, and my blessing go with you ! " 

 We went and tried them. My daughter 

 casts her fly in sportsmanlike style, and I 

 well, I have caught many a trout in my time, 

 and I flattered myself that I had acquired some 

 little skill in the art of beguiling them. There 

 were the trout, fine stalwart fellows the river 

 seemed to swarm with them. Our stretch of 

 water extends above and below the house for 

 something less than a mile. We fished that 

 river up, and we fished it down. There were 

 the trout above us, and below us, and in front 

 of us, rising in all directions. We stalked them 

 in every conceivable way. We dodged behind 

 bushes, we went down on our knees to them, 

 whilst we threw our luring flies over them. My 



