vin A MINIATURE STREAM 135 



examined. Fortunately it had not snapped 

 off clean, but had only begun to split in the 

 middle of the second joint, and after being 

 bound for a few inches with a piece of fine 

 string it seemed fairly sound. 



It was soon tested again. Close above 

 the scene of the accident was another little 

 pool below a miniature stickle. The water 

 was clearer as there was more life in it, and 

 it ran deep under the angler's own bank. 

 There was no cover here, so he knelt down 

 away from the water, and cast the new 

 March brown up-stream close to the edge, 

 trusting to his hand to tell him of a rise, 

 which it did almost at once, as another half- 

 pounder impetuously hooked himself. He 

 was handled with great tenderness, for the 

 rod was obviously not to be trusted, and it 

 was quite a long time before he joined his 

 brother in the canvas bag. 



Join him he did, however, and the rod 

 was still whole, as, marvellous to relate, it 

 remained during the whole of the fortnight 

 that its purchaser stayed in Pebbleville, and 

 in spite of being used on this part of the 

 brook or another daily, and in spite of sub- 

 sequently being much harder worked. On 



