82 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



according to order ; but I do not believe that I 

 benefited my chilblains. 



At a rather more advanced period of my life I 

 used to make long fishing excursions, generally with 

 prosperous, but occasionally with disastrous results. 

 I remember well, when a pair of bait-hooks was to 

 me a valuable concern, I hooked two large black- 

 looking trouts in a deep pool at the same time. 

 As I had to pull them several feet upwards against 

 the pressure of the stream, my line gave way, and 

 left me proprietor of a small fragment only. For 

 some time I looked alternately at my widowed rod 

 and my departed fish ; which last were coursing it 

 round and round the pool, pulling in opposite direc- 

 tions, like coupled dogs of dissenting opinions : 

 durum — sed levius fit patientid. So I sat down 

 with somewhat of a rueful countenance, and began 

 to spin with my fingers some horse-hair which I 

 had pulled that morning, at the risk of my life, 

 from the grey colt's tail. This being done in my 

 own peculiar manner, and my only remaining hook 

 being tied on with one of the aforesaid hairs, I con- 

 tinued to follow my sport down the stream for about 

 half a mile. After the lapse of a considerable time, 

 I had occasion to cross bare-legged from one bank to 

 the other. In my transit through the current, I 

 found something like a sharp instrument cutting 

 the calves of my legs. I scampered ashore, under 

 the impression that I was trailing after me some 

 sharp-toothed monster, perhaps a lamper eel ; when, 

 upon passing down my hand to ascertain the fact, 

 I found to my great astonishment and delight that 

 I was once more in possession of my lost line, hooks, 



