152 ON SURREY HILLS, 



in great abundance. As the small stream ran round 

 a little bend direct on to the cart-track, the gudgeon 

 had no occasion to swim in the mill-pool ; it would 

 have been fatal for them to venture there. The 

 pike knew, however, when the toothsome, luscious 

 little fishes were feeding on the stones, and they 

 would gather on both sides of the causeway for the 

 purpose of better acquaintance, if possible. When 

 the head of water in that particular season was high 

 enough in the pond to cause a run over the splash- 

 boards into the pool, certain friends of mine, who, 

 as they put it, " knowed what they was arter," would 

 gather on the foot-plank bridge, with the full consent 

 of the miller, who was wroth about a lot of his young 

 ducks that had lost the number of their mess through 

 those voracious pike. The lads had noticed that when 

 the gudgeon shoaled on the stones the pike were on 

 the watch. Now and again a small pike would sail 

 on the causeway, poise himself for a moment, and 

 then make a rush for them, causing a dire com- 

 motion. Some threw themselves clean out of the 

 water, others made for the pond never to return 

 again. You could see fierce rushes and swirls 

 where the pike were quite ready for them. Some, 



