184 CARPE DIEM 



very spot, as I calculated, where I had hooked my 

 biggest carp. A small boy hove in sight. I seized 

 him, and asked him where the pool had gone. He 

 answered, " Whoy, mun, it ha' been drained dry 

 these three years." I sat upon a gate and smoked 

 four cigarettes, then walked home, my rods feeling 

 twice as heavy as when I came that way. 



I was to be recompensed, however, for my dis- 

 appointment by a day at the carp pool on the hill 

 at Craigyrhiw, Coed-y-gar, or Penycoed, for it goes 

 by all three names, the first being the most proper. 

 By accident I met an old friend from a distance, 

 who, when he heard where I was bound to, offered 

 to accompany me. I was glad of his companion- 

 ship for more than one reason. He had affected to 

 disbelieve my accounts of the big fish to be caught 

 there, and this was an opportunity of vindicating 

 myself from the charge of exaggeration. He got 

 his rods and we started, pausing on the way to get 

 a couple of small Melton Mowbray pies for lunch. 

 My friend, whom I shall call A., left the com- 

 missariat department to me, and I, having just had 

 a good breakfast, did not contemplate the possi- 

 bility of becoming very hungry during the day, so 

 considered we should have quite sufficient to recruit 

 ourselves with. Leaving the town, we passed 

 under the beautiful avenue of limes in the church- 



