42 THE TINKER. 



half suspect Sir Walter Scott had seen him before he sketched 

 Watt Tinlin in the ' Lay/ He was a convicted felon he had 

 no plea to offer, for he was taken in the very fact. But he 

 made two propositions wherewithal to obtain his liberty ' He 

 would never sin again or he would fight any two of the 

 captors/ My heart yearned towards him he was after all a 

 brother and admitting that rod and coat were not worth 

 threepence, still he was an adept in the ' gentle art/ although 

 the most ragged disciple that ever Walton boasted. I forgave 

 him, dismissed the captors, and ordered him to the Lodge for 

 refreshment. ' My honour had no sport/ and he looked care- 

 lessly at my flies. ' Would I condescend to try one of his ?' 

 and he put a strange-looking combination of wool and feathers 

 on the casting- line. There was a fine pool near us I tried it, 

 and at the second cast I was fast in a twelve-pound salmon ! 

 My ragged friend remained with me some days ; and in his 

 sober intervals, ' few and far between/ gave me lessons in 

 the art, that have been more serviceable than any I had 

 hitherto acquired. 



" Two years after, I was obliged to attend the winter fair 

 of Ball to purchase cattle. It was twilight when I left it, 

 and I had proceeded only a few miles towards a gentleman's 

 house, where I was to dine and sleep, when my horse cast a 

 shoe, and forced me to leave him at a smith's shop, which was 

 fortunately at hand. The evening was chilly, and I deter- 

 mined to proceed on foot, directing my servant to follow. I 

 passed a lonely poteen-house several ruffian-looking fellows 

 were on the road beside it. They were half- drunk and inso- 

 lent I was rash words borrowed blows, and I soon disco- 

 vered that I should have the worst of the battle, and was 

 tolerably certain of a sound drubbing. Suddenly, an unex- 

 pected ally came to my assistance; he dropped the most 

 formidable of the assailants as if he had been struck down by 

 a sledge-hammer. A few blows settled the contest ; and I 

 turned round to recognise and thank my deliverer. ' Ton my 

 sowl, you're mighty handy, Master Julius ; it's a murder that 

 ye don't practise oftener !' The speaker was my gifted friend 

 the tinker/' 



