234 FISHING CATS. 



to be found fishing upon this favourite stretch with artificial 

 fly for trout, and, being an adept in the art, he seldom fished 

 in vain. Pretty puss ahvays kept close behind him, watching 

 the trail of the mimic flies till a fish was hooked, and then 

 her eagerness and love of sport could not be controlled, and 

 so soon as the captive was in shoal water, in sprang puss up 

 to the shoulders, and, fixing her claws firmly in the fish, 

 brought it to the bank, when, with a caress from Donald, 

 she again took her place behind him till another trout was 

 on the line, and the sport was repeated. In this way did 

 puss and her master pass the evenings, each proud of 

 the other's doings, and happy in their companionship. 

 Such was the affection of the cat for her master, that 

 she could not even bear to be separated from him by 

 day. Donald had charge of a ferry across the river, 

 and no sooner did a bell at the opposite side of the stream 

 give notice that a passenger was ready to voyage across, 

 than down scampered puss to the boat, and, leaping in, 

 she journeyed with her master to the further side, and 

 again returned, gravely watching each stroke of the oar. 

 Many a voyage did she thus daily make, and I question, 

 with these luxurious boatings and the exciting fishing in the 

 evenings, if ever cat was more truly happy. The love of 

 fishing once developed itself to the disturbance of my own 

 sport. With careful prevision, my boatman had, in the 

 floods of November and December, secured a plentiful 

 supply of minnows, to be held in readiness till wanted in 

 my fishings for salmon in the ensuing February and March. 

 The minnows were placed in a well two or three feet deep, 

 and the cold spring water rendered them as tough as angler 

 could desire. All went well for the first few days of the 

 salmon fishing; the minnows were deemed admirable for 

 the purpose, and the supply ample for our needs ; but this 

 good fortune was not to last. One morning the boatman 

 reported a serious diminution of stock in the well, and on 

 the following day things were still worse. Suspicion fell on 

 more than one honest person, and we determined to watch 

 late and early till the real thief was discovered. When the 



