A COMFORTABLE EXPEDIENT 187 



his line or not. ' She is very big/ said he to himself, 

 ' but I'll try her ; if I grip him he'll be worth the 

 handing/ He then fished it, a step and a throw, 

 about half way down, when a heavy splash pro- 

 claimed that he had raised him, though he missed 

 the fly. Going back a few paces, he came over him 

 again, and hooked him/ The first tug verified to 

 Duncan his prognostication, that if he was there 

 ' he would be worth the hauding ' ; but his tackle 

 had thirty plies of hair next the fly, and he held fast, 

 nothing daunted. Give and take went on with 

 dubious advantage, the fish occasionally sulking. 

 The thing at length became serious ; and, after a 

 succession of the same tactics, Duncan found him- 

 self at the Boat of Aberlour, seven hours after he had 

 hooked his fish, the said fish fast under a stone, and 

 himself completely tired. He had some thoughts of 

 breaking his tackle and giving the thing up ; but 

 he finally hit upon an expedient to rest himself, and 

 at the same time to guard against the surprise and 

 consequence of a sudden movement of the fish. 



" He laid himself down comfortably on the banks, 

 the butt end of his rod in front ; and most in- 

 geniously drew out part of his line, which he held 

 in his teeth. ' If he tugs when I'm sleeping/ said 

 he, ' I think I'll find him noo ' ; and no doubt it is 

 probable that he would. Accordingly, after a 

 comfortable nap of three or four hours, Duncan 

 was awoke by a most unceremonious tug at his jaws. 

 In a moment he was on his feet, his rod well up, 

 and the fish swattering down the stream. He 

 followed as best he could, and was beginning to 



