208 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



took a thought that I would like to see what was 

 steering on Caberston throat ; and sae I lap on the 

 stilts and went through at the rack ; and when I 

 was on the other side, I thought I might as weel 

 tak a keek at the throat. I keepit weel off the 

 water-side, until I was doon aneth where the fish 

 began to work. I kend by a clour in the water a 

 gey bit afore me, that there was a big redd there, 

 and drew cannily forrit. 'Odd, sir ! my verra heart 

 lap to my mouth when I gat the glisk o' something 

 mair like a red stirk than ought else muve off the 

 redd, and hallans down the water and make for the 

 south side. I fand my hair creep on my head. I 

 minded it was the Sabbath, and I should not hae 

 been there. It might be a delusion o' the enemy, 

 if it wasna the deil himser. I stude and consider'd. 

 I had never seen the deil i' daylight, and forbye 

 there was just then a great brown rowaner slade off 

 the redd after him. If it was the deil, what could 

 he be doin' wi' the rowaner ? The water was breast 

 deep at the least ; it might be a fish after a', and I 

 had heard the auld folk speak o' vera muckle anes. 

 I lookit up the brae to the toon. Peggy ablins 

 hadna likit my hankering about the throat on sic a 

 day, and she had slippit in to the house, and didna 

 come out again. Sae when I saw it was sae, I held 

 up the water side for my stilts, keepin', for aw that, 

 an ee to the redds. Heaven forgie me ! 1 neuer 

 saw sic a water o' fish ! If it wasna the deil I had 

 seen, I was sure he wasna far off. I saw eneugh 

 to temp a better man than me ; and I began to 

 think I had better be at hame reading a chapter o' 

 the gude book, if no a leaf or twae o' the Fourfold 



