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Page:Caine - An Angler at Large (1911).djvu/53

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OF TWO KEEPERS
35

right. Not up to un. 'Ee won't find 'un there, sir. My! what a whop!" and other encouragements. Finally, "Let me have a whack," said he, and in sheer curiosity to see if he could cheat the wind and the drag and the trout all together, I gave place to him. Neither the wind nor the drag seemed to present any difficulties to William, though the trout would not come up, and for twenty minutes I was witness of an exhibition of skill which I gladly confess was of the finest quality. What he would have done with the rod up at the cottage I do not know, but with mine he did about fifty things which I shall never learn to do if I fish till I am a hundred—which is William's age.

The sight of a rise in a very attractive spot gave me courage to ask for a turn, and so I got a nice fish. "Now," said I, in a foolish burst of generosity, "you must get one." Nothing rose for the next two hundred yards, but William fished the water carefully up to a bridge on which I sat smoking and marvelling at his dexterity. It was mid-day, and the fly was fairly off the water when he left me to go and get a bit of dinner. He promised to be back in an hour. Had I possessed a spark of courage, I should have told him plainly not to come back. I should have reminded him that I had come all the way from