34 Mij Two Days Salmon Fishing. 



" Did ye ever catch a salmon, now ? " I admitted my 

 innocence of that feat, remarking that the cost of salmon 

 fishing was so enormous, and the chances of good sport so 

 vague, that the game was not worth the candle, and it was 

 not worth while to pay a pound for a licence, and nearly 

 four pounds for a week's ticket. " Give me your hand, my 

 boy ; stop where I am going," naming the place, '' and I 

 will give ye two days' salmon fishing for nothing ; it shall 

 only cost ye a trifie for the fisherman, and a man w:th a 

 boat, and a relation of my woife's (our house is full), will 

 take ye in as cheap as any inn, and much more comfortable. 

 As to a licence, there is no fear, as I am officially connected 

 with the fishery, and shall hear first of any chance of a 

 prosecution ; and if I hear that anyone is moving, ofi" ye go 

 to England, my boy." You will observe that he was getting 

 friendly and familiar. As the bottle got lighter, and my 

 cruest pulled two strokes to my one, a tear came in his eye, 

 and he called me " Charles," or, as he pronounced it," Chorlus," 

 and told me I resembled an only son who died young; and 

 very much in the small hours he joined the stout fah-y 

 whose snoring was like the noise of a well-regulated gong. 



It was with no small pleasure that I listened to my new 



acquaintance of the previous evening, when he told me 



that we should reach our destination before six o'clock m 



the dav, and that I should have a try for a salmon as soon 



as we "^arrived. I was " struck of a heap" as the vulgar 



saying is. One of the large public cars took us leisurely 



along*" through charming scenery, and I was landed at 



my journey's end at a comfortable house close to a large 



weir, and saw at first sight that my new home held out 



every promise of enjoyment— and the river said " salmon." 



The usual inquidtive crowd of idlers, mostly bare-footed, 



forming a picturesque group, stood round the car, and my 



mentor singlmg out a bright-eyed, rough-headed httle 



