EARLY BURN FISHING 45 



There is too little for him. He does not believe 

 in vegetable diet, or hunting too hard for a 

 living. He likes the neighbourhood of houses, 

 and plenty ; and nothing suits him better than 

 a meal mill. How fat, and well fed the fellow 

 looks ! 



What an unutterable rascal he is ! It is he 

 who has well-nigh exterminated the black native 

 rat ; whenever he enters a house he kills, or drives 

 away every mouse ; and, if he leaves the vole 

 unmolested, it is only because he would not thank 

 him for his quarters. 



Perhaps it was the recollection of an early 

 experience, that caused me to pause in my cast. 

 One day, when fishing, as I am doing now, I 

 allowed my line to drift under the bank, and 

 hooked something living. From the bend in the 

 rod, I judged that the trout must be immense, 

 some patriarch of the stream, which, for the 

 moment, had remitted his caution. The excitement 

 changed its complexion, for I was younger then, 

 when, half coerced by the strain, a water-vole 

 emerged into view. After an exciting struggle 

 of the pull-devil, pull-baker order, he broke loose. 

 Once more I breathed freely, and so did he. 



The typical Scots stream has really four chapters, 



