OF AN OLD-TIME ANGLER 199 



not so young as I was, and old Tom has carried 

 me since noon. He has gone round to stable, for 

 my turf is not for hooves to tread." " Your 

 turf?" "Ay, marry!" said the old gentleman 

 carelessly, as he placed the fish back in the creel. 

 " Hah ! " he exclaimed, weighing the thing in his 

 hand, "I have seen a worse evening's fishing. 

 Trust me ! There is two stone in there, my 

 master!" As he spoke the strap gave beneath the 

 inordinate weight of chalk-stream trout, and slipped 

 through his fingers. The creel fell to earth. I 

 stooped for this man was worthy of all reverence 

 and picked the thing up, bracing myself uncon- 

 sciously to lift. My body flew upwards with a 

 jerk which caused me severe pain, and when I had 

 recovered from the shock of surprise the creel was 

 in his hands. In the gathering darkness I must 

 have failed to take hold of it. 



" Sir," he said, " I thank you. And now I will 

 even wish you a good night's rest, and, an you 

 angle on the morrow, a fair south wind and a dark 

 water." So saying he began to move silently 

 away. " But don't you fish to-morrow ? " I cried. 

 It would be an education to see this angler at 

 work. 



The river mist was thickening fast, and partly 

 by the faint pallor in the west, which was all that 

 remained of Midsummer Day, partly by the 



