BOYHOOD IN GALLOWAY 23 



air — as a chimney-sweep's brush may be seen 

 emerging, apparently without human agency, from 

 the top of a chimney. Even in that crisis, though 

 choked with heather and severely scratched, with 

 unabated enthusiasm he still continued to vociferate 

 his cries of encouragement, until he had extricated 

 himself from his uncomfortable position and at 

 last stood at the Skipper's side. We warily guided 

 that monster trout into the net, and placed him 

 high and dry on the bank, all three of us falling 

 upon him in an access of terror lest he should, 

 even then, make his way back to the water once 

 more. It was a nice fish, and most superbly 

 marked, and I should say, from later experience, 

 must have weighed over a pound. 



The angler on the Test or Itchen, used to his 

 two-, three-, or four-pound fish, may turn up his 

 nose at a modest pounder. But there is no doubt, 

 that a fine-conditioned pound trout, in many lochs 

 and rivers in Scotland, will, when hooked, give 

 quite as much trouble to kill as the three-pounder 

 in the Test, and even run farther and faster. Why 

 the fish should be so much more game for their 

 size, in the north, I do not know, but it is an 

 accredited fact. 



