NOVEL METHOD OF FISHING 149 



once touched sharply with the hook, when he sees 

 the fly above him on some future day he will often 

 vault into the air. I once saw a marked instance of 

 this. 



A very young friend who was fishing with me saw 

 a fish spring over his line in this manner, and he 

 kept flinging at him with the same result, the salmon 

 always moving forward, till he fairly chased him up 

 the water some hundred yards ; that is to say, from 

 " The Webbs/' above Craigover Boat Hole in the 

 Mertoun-water, half way up to Maxwell Burn foot. 

 Believe me, it was a pleasant thing to behold. My 

 friend would not be denied. Master Salmo Salar, and 

 he was a lusty one, would not accept, but acknow- 

 ledged the courteous tender of Michael Scott at every 

 cast, in the manner I have described. Thus, they 

 held correspondence with each other a considerable 

 time without coming in contact. At length piscator 

 began to suspect that the repulsive qualities were on 

 his side, and the attractive ones only on the part of 

 the fugitive, who knew, 



" but how it mattered not, 

 It was the wizard Michael Scott." 



So he turned his back upon him reluctantly ; but, 

 casting a lingering look behind, he could not forbear 

 returning and doubling his defeat. This fish had 

 probably been touched by a fly before. 



That night, the hostel being full, we slept in a 

 double-bedded room. At the dead hour of twelve I 

 was awakened by loud cries of " I have him, I have 

 him ! " " Hold him fast then/' said I, for I thought 

 he had collared a thief ; but in truth he had not : 



