146 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



had putten a cockle-stane at the side o' the water 

 foment the place where he raise ; forbye I kend fu' 

 weel where he was lyin' : it was at the side o' a 

 muckle blue clint that made a clour i' the rough 

 throat, e'en when the Queed was in a brown flood, 

 as she had been for twa days afore. Aweel, I thought 

 I wad try a plan o' auld Juniperbank's when he had 

 raised a sawmon mair nor ance. I keepit my eyne 

 hard closed when the heuck was commin owre the 

 place. Peace be here ! I fand 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 rowin' 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' a 

 fearfu' 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 were guy 

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

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

 jalouse 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 fashious 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, 



