436 Iktngs of tbe 1Rofc, IRffle, anfc (Bun 



And this was the sum total of what I could extract 

 from this nil admirari fellow. 



A third person now joined us, whom I afterwards 

 discovered to be the renter of that part of the river. 

 He had a rod and tackle of the self same fashion with 

 the apathetic man. . . . 



* Well, Sandy/ said he to his piscatorial friend, my 

 new acquaintance, 'what luck the morn?' 



' I canna specify that I hae had muckle ; for they hae 

 bin at the sheep-washing up bye, and she is foul, ye ken. 

 But I hae ta'en twa saumon, ane wi' Nancy, and the 

 ither wi 1 a Toppy baith in Faldon-side Burn fut.' 



And twisting round a coarse linen bag which was 

 slung at his back, and which I had supposed to contain 

 some common lumber, he drew forth by the tail a never- 

 ending monster of a salmon, dazzling and lusty to the 

 view ; and then a second, fit consort to the first. Could 

 you believe it ? One proved to be fifteen pounds, and 

 the other twelve ! At the sudden appearance of these 

 whales I was shivered to atoms : dumbfoundered I was, 

 like the Laird of Cockpen, when Mrs. Jean refused the 

 honour of his hand. I felt as small as Flimnap the 

 treasurer in the presence of Gulliver. Little did I say ; 

 but that little, I hope, was becoming a youth in my 

 situation. { 



I was now fairly vaccinated. By dint of snuff and 

 whisky I made an alliance with the tenant of the water ; 

 and being engaged for that year to join my friends at 

 Edinburgh, and go on a shooting excursion to the 

 Hebrides and the north of Scotland, I resolved to revisit 

 the Tweed the summer following." 



