Humphrey watched him with
approval. "Ay, lad," he said, "thou wilt soon be wise in fen lore, for
thou hast a heart to it. I will tell thee now that I have wherewith to
fish in one of these same packs. Mine ears were not idle in the town,
and I did learn that perch and red-eye and roach and bream frequent the
waters of the fen."
"And didst thou ask what fish were in the fen?" asked Hugo, in alarm.
"Nay, lad, most surely not. But when I did see fish for sale I did
praise their beauty, and they that had them did of themselves tell me
where they did catch them. There be more ways of finding out things
than by asking of questions."
They were now come to a small, grassy isle fringed with reeds. "Here do
we get down," said Humphrey. "I would fain see if we do not catch some
of those same fish for our dinner. And here is grass, moreover, where
the horses can graze."
Slowly and carefully boy and man disengaged themselves from the baggage
that almost encased them and dismounted. "If thou dost get a dream
to-night, Humphrey," said Hugo, laughingly, "I hope thou wilt discover
what we shall do with all this stuff.
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