14 GOLDEN DAYS 



old fellow looked down his nose as he 

 discoursed on the futility of that little 

 brook, and there and then I made a secret 

 resolve to explore it at all costs. 1 left 

 the old man muttering pessimisms, and 

 sauntered down to the river-bank again, 

 casting here and there a desultory fly in 

 likely corners. Soon I was joined by 

 Jean Pierre with a message that dejeuner 

 would be awaiting me at the mill. I was 

 now using a good-sized Invicta, fishing 

 it as wet as possible, but with very little 

 hope of moving a fish. My old friend 

 followed me down the bank, and eventu- 

 ally we arrived at the mill bridge. I had 

 just reeled in my line when my eye 

 wandered to a pool lower down the stream. 

 Surely that was the splash of a fish just 

 below the overhanging alder-bush ; any- 

 way, I would have just one last cast, and 

 try just one more pool before I went in. 

 Brothers of the rod all know that final cast, 

 and will remember the lure of that further 

 stretch of water which has been responsible 

 for many lost fish, lost trains, lost dinners, 

 and lost tempers. Down the bank we 

 went, and there under the alder sat a good- 



