The New Forest Spy | Page 3

caution, he dropped his big
ugly fly through what was quite a hole in the overgrowth of verdure,
beneath which the water lay still and dark.
He was quite right. He felt that there ought to be a fish there waiting for
some big fat caterpillar or fly to drop from the leaves above; and his
ugly lure had hardly touched the surface of the water before there was a
loud smack, a disturbance as if a stone had been thrown in to fall
without a splash, and a well-hooked trout was darting here and there at
the end of the short line, making frantic struggles to escape.
But though Waller Froy had so many yards of twisted silk upon his
winch for the convenience of lowering and winding-in his bait, the
tangle of bushes and overhanging boughs necessitated fishing with a
tight line, with trust in its strength for the rapid hauling out of the prize.
It was no question of skill, but the roughest of rough work; and after a
few rapid plunges and splashes, the fish was lifted out on to the bank,
to begin leaping and making the first steps to entangle the line amongst
the twigs which rose everywhere about the boy's knees.
"What a beauty!" he cried, as he released his hook, placed his prize in
his creel, and proceeded to examine his ruffled fly, getting it ready for
tempting another fish.
This was tried for in a similar place about a dozen yards farther along
the river, but without result; and on stepping onwards the river wound
along a dell amongst the great beech trees, with the sunlight flashing
from the surface and turning to bronzed silver patch after patch of
bracken that spread its broad fronds in glistening sheets five and six
feet high.

There was no tempting fishing-place here among the broad slopes, but
beyond there was more than one favourite spot from which in times
past the boy had taken many a speckled beauty, and to reach one of
these he was pressing on with arms raised, and creel and rod held high,
simply wading, as it were, through the rustling bracken, and every now
and then beating back some frond that attacked his face, when, all at
once, he stopped short, with his heart beating fast, for there was a quick
rush, and something sprang up from almost at his feet and dashed
away.
The bracken was so thick that all he saw was the quivering fronds, and,
with no other thought than to catch a glimpse of the deer he had started
from its lair, Waller rapidly gave a turn to the ferrule which made one
rod of its two joints, and, using the butt to strike right and left at the
ferns which impeded his way, he dashed on for about a dozen yards,
and then stopped short. For he had brought his quarry to bay, forcing it
to turn upon him fiercely, while the boy's heart beat faster still from the
exertion mingled with his startled surprise.
But it was no fat buck with palmated antlers ready to be thrown
forward for a fierce attack, for in his rapid glance amongst the bracken
Waller found himself face to face with a lad of about his own age--no
poaching gipsy, given to preying upon the indwellers of the forest, but
a strange-looking, wild-eyed being, sunken of cheek, hollow of eye,
and with long unkempt hair hanging about his shoulders. Yet he was no
threatening beggar, for, in spite of his garments being muddied, stained,
and torn, he was well dressed, but menacing of aspect all the same; for
as he stood there, bareheaded and fierce, there was danger in his dark
flashing eyes, and a gleam of white, as, like those of some animal, his
thin lips were drawn from his glistening teeth.
"Who are you? What do you want?" cried Waller, in his excitement;
while, as the words left his lips, there was a quick movement upon the
stranger's part, and he felt for and drew something from his breast.
The next moment he was presenting a big flintlock pistol at his
pursuer's head.

CHAPTER TWO.
A SURRENDER.
Waller had a glimpse of the pistol as it was suddenly presented at his
head, and then he only saw what seemed to be a round, rusty ring,
through which he peered at nothing, but in full expectation of seeing a
puff of smoke and hearing a report, while in the quick flash of thought
that darted through his brain, the question he asked himself was, "Will
it kill me?"
But he did not stop to think, in this startling, novel position, for he
acted simultaneously. As quick as his thought he gave a turn to the
lower joint of