132 MAKES HIMSELF REALLY USEFUL. [PART I. 



condition; and although those which were thus 

 caught would, when in proper condition, have been 

 of a very good size (for even then they weighed 

 as much as ten or twelve pounds each), yet they 

 were consequently, for the most part, poor, ugly, 

 ill-shaped brutes, and so little fit for the table, 

 that, with the exception of a few which the gillies 

 took home to be salted, such as could be rescued 

 in time were put back again, a course of pro- 

 ceeding by no means to the taste of the Captor, 

 who viewed it with marked dissatisfaction, evi- 

 dently shewing by his manner that he considered 

 we had no right whatever to interfere, and saying 

 as plainly as a dog could speak, " I never put back 

 any of your fish. Why on earth should you 

 meddle with mine !" I noticed with some sur- 

 prise that several of those which had been thus 

 reprieved seemed nothing daunted by the rough 

 reception they had experienced, and might be seen 

 returning after a few minutes to prosecute their 

 search for the offal, as if nothing had happened. 

 The keeper told me that, when they were alone 

 together, the dog had often landed Salmon for 

 him : as however we had human and mechanical 

 aids at hand, we never availed ourselves of his 

 services for that purpose. 



