By Hook and by Crook. 



CHAPTER I. 



''there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." 



It was towards the end of April, the cold winds of a 

 late winter had apparently departed, while the budding 

 hedgerows proclaimed the approach of spring and the 

 termination of the spring salmon-fishing ; so we were 

 fortunate in having a few days at our disposal before 

 putting up the rods for their summer holiday. 



Rain was reported by the papers to have been pretty 

 general for the few previous days over the district 

 which we proposed to visit ; but upon arrival we 

 found, as is often the case, that it had not affected 

 \» the river, and a glance at " the stane abeun the brig '' 

 caused our hopes to fall, as, instead of " lepping " over 

 it, the water was leaving a good eight inches dry. 



B 



