CHAPTER SIX SALMON FISHING 



beingquite in accordance with my ideas of right and wrong; 

 and I enjoyed it probably as much as any of the wild lads 

 who were engaged in it. There was not much English talk- 

 ed amongst the party, as they found more expressive words 

 in Gaelic to vent their eagerness and impatience. All was 

 good humour, however; and though they at first looked on 

 me with some slight suspicion, yet when they saw that I 

 enjoyed their torchlight fishing, and entered fully into the 

 spirit of it, they soon treated me with all consideration and 

 as one of themselves. I happened to know one or two of the 

 men; and after it was over, and we were drying our drench- 

 ed clothes in a neighbouring bothy, it occurred to me to 

 think of the river bailiffs and watchers, several of whom I 

 knew were employed on that part of the stream, and I ask- 

 ed where they were, that they did not interfere with the 

 somewhat irregular proceeding in which we had all been 

 engaged. "'Deed ay, sir, there are no less than twelve 

 baillies and offishers on the water here, but they are mostly 

 douce-like lads, and don't interfere much with us, as we 

 only come once or twice in the season. Besides which, they 

 ken well that if they did they might get a wild ducking 

 amongst us all, and they would na ken us again, as we all 

 come from beyont the braes yonder. Not that we would 

 wish to hurt the puir chiels," continued my informer, as he 

 took off a glass of whisky, "as they would be butdoingtheir 

 duty. They would as lave, however, I am thinking, be tak- 

 ing a quiet dram at Sandy Roy's down yonder as getting 

 a ducking in the river; and they are wise enough not to run 

 the risk of it." Not bad reasoning either, thought I ; nor can I 

 wonder that thepoor water-bailiffs would prefer aquietbowl 



87 



