etch of velvety grass, bracken, heather and
stunted oak-trees, which gave the place a park-like aspect, running
right up to where the oaks were clustered thickly, with an occasional
silvery or ruddy barked birch, and made dense with hazel-stubbs and
alder.

"Oh, what a jolly day!" he said; "but isn't it hot!"

It was, for the autumn sun shone down out of a vivid blue sky upon the
gloriously green growth which was beginning here and there to look
mellow and ripe as if shot with ruddy gold.

"I might just as well lie down and read under the shade of one of the
trees," mused the boy, "for the trout will be all in the most cranky
places right under the stones and roots. But one can't read without a
book, and I came out on purpose to catch something, and I mean to do it;
so here goes."

He made for the nearest portion of the forest, and plunged in at once,
holding his fly carefully between finger and thumb, and shouldering his
rod so that, as he walked on with the trees clustering thicker and
thicker, he drew the top after him, and got on fairly well without
entangling his line.

Deeper and deeper into the forest, which grew more and more dense, till,
breaking away from its level, it suddenly began to descend in a stiff
slope, which rose as steeply fifty yards farther on, forming in all a
wandering, tangled little valley, at the bottom of which trickled and
gurgled a tiny river some few yards wide, flashing brightly in places
where the sun passed through the overhanging trees, but for the most
part darkly hidden, and only to be approached with some little
difficulty and at the risk of being caught and held by one of the
briars' hundred hands.

The valley was very beautiful, gloriously attractive, and evidently a
very sanctuary for blackbirds, one of which every now and then darted
out in full velvet plumage, skimmed a few yards, and then dived out of
sight again.

They were too common objects to take the boy's attention as he
cautiously made his way towards the edge of the little river, but he did
stop for a minute as a loud _yuk_, _yuk_, _yuk_, rang out, and a
good-sized bird made a streak of green, and, once well in the sunshine,
of brilliant scarlet, as it flew over the bushes and amongst the trees
in a series of wave-like curves before it disappeared.

"That's the greenest woodpecker and the reddest head I have seen this
season," said the boy thoughtfully. "That's a fine old cock-bird, and
no mistake. Well,