TOM PURDIKS YARN 147 



frae the Sherra, had three fadom o' pleit gut at the 

 end of it, and the flee was buskit on a three plies o' 

 sawmon gut, sae I was na feard for my tackle. 

 I had putten a cockle-stane at the side o' the water 

 foment the place where he raise ; forbye I kend fu' 

 weel where he was lyin' : it was at the side o' a 

 muckle blue clint that made a clour i' the rough 

 throat, e'en when the Queed was in a brown flood, 

 as she had been for twa days afore. Aweel, I 

 thought I wad try a plan o' auld Juniperbank's 

 when he had raised a sawmon mair nor ance. I 

 keepit my eyne hard closed when the heuck was 

 comin' owre the place. Peace be here ! I fand 

 as gif I had catched the branch o' an aik tree 

 swingin' and sabbin' in a storm o' wind. Ye needna 

 doobt I opened my eyne ! An' what think ye was 

 the sawmon aboot ? — turnin' and rowin' doon the 

 tap o' the water owre him and owre him (as ye hae 

 seen a hempie o' a callant row down a green brae 

 side) at great speed, makin' a fearfu' jumblin' and 

 splashin', and shakin' the tap o' the wand at sic a 

 rate, that deil hae me but I thocht he wad hae 

 shaken my arms afF at the shouther joints, tho' I 

 said to mysel' they were gey firm putten on. I 

 never saw a fish do the like but ane i' the Auld 

 Brig pool in the Darnwick-water. I jalouse they 

 want to unspin the line ; for a fish has far mair 

 cunnin' and wiles aboot him than mony ane wad 

 think. At ony rate it was a fashious plan this 

 I fell on ; for or he war to the fut o' the pool 

 I was tired o' him and his wark, and sae was he, I'se 

 warrant ye. For when he fand the water turnin' 

 shallow, he wheeled aboot, and I ran up the pool 



