138 SALMON CASTING HIS CANTRIPS. 



raised a sawmon mair nor ance. I keeplt my eyne hard 

 closed when the heuck was commhi owre the place. Peace 

 be here ! I fund as gif I had catched the branch o' an 

 aik tree swingin' and sabbin' in a storm o' wind. Ye 

 needna doobt I opened my eyne ! An' what think ye was 

 the sawmon aboot ? — turnin' and roAvin' doon the tap 

 o' the water owre him and owre him (as ye hae seen a 

 hempie o' a callant row down a green brae side) at great 

 speed, makin' afearfu'jumblin' and splashin', and shakin' 

 the tap o' the wand at sic a rate, that deil hae me but 

 I thocht he wad hae shaken my arms afF at the 

 shouther joints, tho' I said to mysel' they Averc guy 

 firm putten on. I never saw a fish do the like but ane 

 i' the Auld Brig pool in the Darn wick-water. Ijalouse 

 they want to unspin the line ; for a fish has far mair 

 cunnin' and wiles aboot him than mony ane wad think. 

 At ony rate it was a fashions plan this I fell on ; for or 

 he war to the fut o' the pool I was tired o' him and his 

 wark, and sae was he, Ise warrant ye. For when he 

 fand the water turnin' shallow, he wheeled aboot, and 

 I ran up the pool as fast as I could follow him, gien him 

 a' the line I could at the same time ; and when it was just 

 about a' off the pirn, and he was commin into the 

 throat, he wheeled again in a jiffy, and cam straight for 

 my feet as if he had been shot out o' a cannon ! I 

 thocht it was a' owre atween us, for I fand naething at 

 the wand as the line was soommin i' the pool a' the 

 way doon. I was deed sure I had lost him after a' my 

 quirks ; for whan they cast a cantrip o' that kind, it's 

 done to slacken the line to let them draw the heuck out 

 o' their mouths wi' their teethy toung — an' they arc 



