126 ON SURREY HILLS. 



saying, " You've been in luck's way to-day ; they're a 

 pretty lot — beauties all of them." 



Then we made our way home together. A most 

 amusing companion he always was, having a fund of 

 anecdotes ; and so well told were they, that long 

 miles always seemed short in his company. Well up 

 in the nature and ways of fish was Soldier Will, and 

 indeed in any other subject he cared to talk about. 



"And where is your inseparable Dickey to-day?" 

 I asked ; and was told in reply that Dickey was 

 working the bream in the reaches below here. 



The Mole widens out broad : a scent of tobacco 

 comes to us — a powerful scent — from a short black 

 cutty, well coloured. Soldier Will observes that he 

 can nose Dickey half a mile down-stream when the 

 wind is right ; also that the midges don't bite him 

 same as they do other folk : that pipe of his settles 

 them, so as they can't get near him. 



Under a large oak we find Dickey all ready for 

 going home. A greater contrast could not be found 

 than that presented by this odd pair. Will, as I 

 said, was tall ; Dickey only a little over five feet in 

 height — thin as a lath, with light scrubby hair and 

 a bristly moustache ; beard he had none. When he 



