CH. IX.] FISHER-DOG OUT SALMON-FISHING. 129 



the delights of a free piscatorial life, he could not 

 only not be induced to return, but, if taken home 

 to his master, soon found his way back to the 

 quarters where he could enjoy his favourite sport 

 ad libitum. It mattered very little to him what 

 kind of fishing was the order of the day, so long 

 as he was permitted to take a part in it. He soon 

 found out what it was to be, whether up the river 

 for Salmon, or down the loch for sea-fish, and 

 was always the first on the road towards the river, 

 or in the boat when sea-fishing was determined 

 on, as the case might be. Many a rough day he 

 had of it sitting in the bow or stern-sheets, 

 wherever there happened to be room for him 

 drenched with rain and spray, and perhaps half 

 frozen by a biting wind. But all this was endured, 

 just as his human friends endured it, for the sake 

 of the sport, which seemed to make up for all 

 discomforts. Great was his excitement when a 

 Salmon was hooked, and profound the attention 

 with which (head on one side and ears cocked) he 

 watched all the subsequent proceedings the Sal- 

 mon's rushes his leaps his gradual approach to 

 the shore perhaps an unsuccessful attempt to 

 gaff him (for the gillies there were not very cer- 

 tain hands at the work), until at length the crown- 



K 



