FLY FISHING IN FRANCE. 89 



should premise that one room is the " common 

 room" in most of these farm-houses ; the mas- 

 ter's bed is that nearest the fire-place, and the 

 others all round farm-labourers, &c. We found 

 that only one of these bunks was allotted to us, 

 and that we were expected to sleep together, 

 which is a very common thing in France. As 

 we were tired, and had had a capital supper of 

 fried trout, we made no bones about it. We 

 found the stowage rather close, however, and 

 uncomfortably warm, and after having tried 

 various plans, decided the best one was to 

 make both ends of the bed the head. This 

 answered pretty well as regarded room, but my 

 bed-fellow, who was a restless, long-legged man, 

 would keep kicking me about the shoulders. 

 Notwithstanding all this, however, I fell into a 

 doze, when I was awakened by a tremendous 

 kick, and a whisper of 



" For Heaven's sake, Jack, look here !" 

 I should mention there was an oil-lamp burn- 

 ing. I sat up and looked in a half-dreamy state 

 at my companion, who was peering out from be- 

 tween the curtains, which we had closed. 

 " What is it?" I whispered. 



