91 



clnuds will all disappear before very lonsj." 



" Don't interrupt, Charles, for I sec a chance higher up, and it 

 would be idle to speculate in ignorance upon the fly required, which 

 will be easily selected when I'm in possession of all the facts. I want 

 to hear what else you have to say " (turning to me). 



After explaining what had transpired, he questioned nie on tlie 

 nature of the boulder at the nose of the Slack. " Is it always there, or 

 is it a logan ? ' For of course you know that the choice and method 

 of using a fly at these places depends upon where the fish lies. If the 

 catch is close up, one's fly is very different in character from the sort 

 wanted for a fish lying some distance below a boulder transported 

 from its native bed." 



" Yes, alwaj-s there, and a very deceptive rock it is." 



" Ah-ah " (he continued) " sometimes no good reason can be 

 assigned for choosing the wrong fly, or presenting it the wrong way, 

 but still there are times when victory is organised out of such mistakes. 

 Any way, it would puzzle the devil himself without information to 

 detect a hedgehogt in such deep water as this, and I guess it is one." 



At last, after a prolonged chat over the ]iros and cons, the 

 sportsman created astonishment by taking from his waistcoat pocket a 

 variet)' of " Iconise " having peculiar qualities. 



"Goodness! " (I observed) "then }-oti have mastered hedgehogs, 

 have you ; but what would the anti-evolutionist say if he happened to 

 see this fly of yours ? " 



* N.B. A lojan. often of larpre size, i.s a boulder that rocks at certain heiRlits of 

 water, and ttien it is easily detected bv a slight discolouration caused by its action. It 

 has a ridge at the base which may poise the stone so as to rock from side to side, or 

 lengthways. 



t Hedgehogs are fully dealt with in Chapter II 



