iv A BRACE OF TENCH 63 



The angler from foreign parts (all parts 

 beyond the market-town are foreign here) 

 has realised these things, and has endeavoured 

 to strike out a new line for himself. A punt 

 and a long-handled rake were borrowed a 

 day or two ago, and a round pool was cleared 

 among the weeds some twelve yards from 

 the bank, where the water was a good five 

 feet in depth. Further, a narrow channel 

 was cleared between this pool and the bank. 

 Then ground-bait, in the shape of innumerable 

 fragments of lobworm, was thrown in, and 

 the tench were left to recover from their 

 surprise, and to find out what a blessing it 

 is to have plenty of good food with plenty 

 of room to eat it in. 



The clock on the old tower is just strik- 

 ing four in the grey dawn when he comes 

 to prove the value of his theories. There 

 is no row of villagers here now ; indeed the 

 world is only just awake, and the earliest 

 of them is hardly rubbing the sleep from 

 his eyes. This is no cause for regret ; 

 solitude and tench fishing should be syn- 

 onymous. Though summer is at its hottest, 

 it is now none too warm, and the dew hangs 

 heavy on the long grass that fringes the 



