262 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



bottom, for ye hadna a fairy stane ; * but ye'll be 

 wiser, I'm thinkin, afore ye burn that cast again." 



" Ay, that will I ; but courage, man ; all is set 

 to rights, so let us have the whisky, for with that 

 and the blazing brands we shall be warm both 

 within and without, and fear no wizards. But if 

 wizards ever visit rivers, I hope they will open a 

 slap in every cauld where there is no local Act, so 

 as to admit of the free run of fish ; for there are 

 many fine-looking streams that are ' bridled with a 

 curb of stone.' I do not wish to hurt the property 

 of mill-owners ; but how easy it would be in such 

 cases to accommodate all parties by making an 

 opening at every barrier, and a proper slope con- 

 structed with rolling stones at the back of it ; a 

 hatch to be put in at the opening, and drawn only 

 when there was a superfluity of water for the mill. 

 This plan would answer perfectly ; for in very low 

 water fish do not travel, and in a very high one, 

 when they do, the miller would suffer no loss." 



" Well, I wadna say but ye are perfectly right, 

 and I am thinking that a river, like a road, should 

 be open for all passengers." 



Most of the dead salmon having been at length 

 forked out of the river, we all got afloat again, and 

 passed down those rapids above Melrose Bridge, 

 called the Quarry Stream, Back Brae, and Kings- 

 well Lees, snatching out a fish occasionally in our 

 course ; then the flame soon gleamed upon the bridge, 

 struck upwards on the roof of the vast arch as we 

 shot through it, and revealed the dark pines below, 

 which shelved down to the margin of the river. 



1 See note 2 at page 237. 



