254 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



by Tarfield ; then I went to Darnick, and had a 

 glass o' whisky wi' Sandy Trummel at Susy's, and 

 I war joust coming awa' when Rob steppit in, and 

 cried for half a mutchkin. I wasna for takkin' mair, 

 but the glasses were filled, and I did not like to be 

 beat wi' them, so I tuk mine.' 'And is that all 

 you had, Tom ? ' said Sir Walter. ' Aye, indeed 

 was it,' said I ; ' but, Heaven have a care o' me, I 

 never was the war of it, till I was ganging up by 

 Jemmy Mercer's by Coat's Green ; and when I cam 

 up by Kerr side I wanted to see Maister Laidlaw, 

 but I thocht I durstna gang in ; and how I got 

 hame I dinna ken, for I never mindet it na mair ; 

 but our wife war in a terrible bad key the morning, 

 because I war sair wanted last nicht. 



" ' Well,' said the maister, ' ye mun never do the 

 like again, Tom.' We then ganged to the woods, 

 and thinned the trees ; and I laboured with the axe 

 at thae that Sir Walter marked. 



"'Now Tom,' says he, 'you will go home with 

 me, for you have been working very hard, and a 

 glass of whisky will do you good ; ' and he cawed 

 to Nicholson to bring Tom a glass o' Glenlivet. I 

 tuk it doon ; and, mon, if ye'd found it — it beat a' 

 the whisky I ever tasted in my life. ' Well, Tom,' 

 said Sir Walter, ' how do ye feel after it ? Do ye 

 think another glass will do ye ony harm ? ' I said 

 naething, but I thocht I wad like anither, and 

 Nicholson poured out ain, and I tuk it. Then the 

 maister said, ' Tom, do ye feel onything the war 

 o' it ? ' ' Na, na,' said I, ' but it's terrible powerful 

 and three times as Strang as ony whisky I ever 

 drank in my life.' ' Then, Tom,' says Sir Walter, 



