little too high-strained, yet as my mind acquitted me of having taken
delight in aught but the theory of field-sports, I did not think myself
called upon stubbornly to advocate a practice which had afforded me so
little pleasure.

We had by this time arrived at the remains of an old finger-post, which
my host had formerly pointed out as a landmark. Here, a ruinous wooden
bridge, supported by long posts resembling crutches, served me to get
across the water, while my new friend sought a ford a good way higher
up, for the stream was considerably swelled.

As I paused for his rejoining me, I observed an angler at a little
distance pouching trout after trout, as fast almost as he could cast his
line; and I own, in spite of Joshua's lecture on humanity, I could not
but envy his adroitness and success, so natural is the love of sport
to our minds, or so easily are we taught to assimilate success in
field-sports with ideas of pleasure, and with the praise due to address
and agility. I soon recognized in the successful angler little Benjie,
who had been my guide and tutor in that gentle art, as you have learned
from my former letters. I called--I whistled--the rascal recognized me,
and, starting like a guilty thing, seemed hesitating whether to approach
or to run away; and when he determined on the former, it was to assail
me with a loud, clamorous, and exaggerated report of the anxiety of all
at the Shepherd's Bush for my personal safety; how my landlady had wept,
how Sam and the ostler had not the heart to go to bed, but sat up all
night drinking--and how he himself had been up long before daybreak to
go in quest of me.

'And you were switching the water, I suppose,' said I, 'to discover my
dead body?'

This observation produced a long 'Na--a--a' of acknowledged detection;
but, with his natural impudence, and confidence in my good nature, he
immediately added, 'that he thought I would like a fresh trout or twa
for breakfast, and the water being in such a rare trim for the saumon
raun, [The bait made of salmon-roe salted and preserved. In a swollen
river, and about the month of October, it is a most deadly bait.] he
couldna help taking a cast.'

While we were engaged in this discussion, the honest Quaker returned to
the farther end of the wooden bridge to tell me he could not venture to
cross the brook in its present state: but would be under the necessity
to ride round by the stone bridge, which was a mile and a half hi