VICTORY ! 185 



extraordinary vigour, and generally sets his head 

 down the stream. 



During the whole period of my experience in 

 fishing, though I have had some sharp encounters, 

 yet I never knew any sport equal to this. I am 

 out of breath even now whenever I think of it. 

 I will trouble any surveyor to measure the distance 

 from the Kingswell Lees, the starting spot, above 

 Melrose Bridge, to the end of the Cauld Pool, 

 the death place, by Melrose Church, and to tell 

 me how much less it is than a mile and three 

 quarters — I say, I will trouble him to do so ; and 

 let him be a lover of the angle, that he may rather 

 increase than diminish the distance, as in good 

 feeling and respect for the craft it behoves him to 

 do. I will likewise thank my contemporaries and 

 posterity to bear in mind that the distance about 

 to be measured by this able surveyor was run at 

 an eclipse pace, always allowing for some slight 

 abatement in speed pending our immersion. 



Whilst I was taking a rest on the greensward, 

 the heated face of my excellent new friend 

 appeared through the alders. He could not, how- 

 ever, be fairly said to be in at the death ; the coup 

 de grace having been already given about five 

 minutes. He expressed the greatest astonishment 

 at the swiftness and result of the race, and at the 

 power of the fish, who had been able to distress 

 two full-grown men so completely. He owned he 

 was much excited, but thought fishing for salmon 

 would be too turbulent an amusement for him ; 

 though perhaps he might have kept it up with a 

 good pony, had the ground been passable by such 



