12 DOVE DALE REVISITED 



hope, some to the Manifold, others to the Dove. 

 To the latter went I, and my fidus Achates, the 

 landlord, went with me, he in waders, I only in 

 my knee boots. I found myself in much the 

 same predicament as Painter in the following 

 scene : 



" Painter. Halt, good sir ; you do not expect 

 me to walk into the river ! 



"Angler. If you are resolved against it here 

 you may stay ; for you see how the river washes 

 the very basement of this perpendicular rock, 

 and climb you cannot. Come, sir, follow me 

 bravely, it is but 'a spit and a stride'; or I'll 

 carry you pick-back." The River Dove. 



We wanted to cross the river at a certain 

 point, and as it was a long way up to the bridge, 

 he made nothing of taking me on his back, and, 

 like Friar Tuck and Robin Hood crossing the 

 river, we must have made a pretty picture, 

 had one of our young ladies chanced to have 

 been there with her Kodak. He landed me 

 safely. 



There was a well-known pool where big 

 grayling lie, but they took little notice of a fair 

 rise of fly on the water and floating over them. 

 An occasional rise amid-stream drew my atten- 

 tion. I soon had fast hold of a big fish and 



