202 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



in those days, which gave me confidence. I took 

 out my pocket glass, and eyed my man. He was 

 no novice : but worked his fish with great skill. 

 At length he drew him on the shore, and gave him 

 a settler with a rap of a stone on the back of his 

 head ; he then, honest man, pryed around him 

 with great circumspection, and seeing no one, he 

 took the salmon by the tail, and, full of internal 

 contentment, deposited it in his well-contrived 

 pocket : he then waded across to the south side of the 

 river, with an intention, as it seemed, of revisiting 

 his household gods and having a broil. 



Charlie now arose from his lair, and scrambled 

 down the steep. The alarm was given, but he of 

 the salmon had a good start, with the river between 

 him and his pursuer. So he stopped for a moment 

 on the haugh to make out what was going forward 

 on all sides, much after the fashion of an old hare, 

 who runs a certain distance when she apprehends 

 any thing personal, then rests for a moment or two, 

 and shifts her ears in order to collect the news from 

 all quarters of the compass. Even so did our friend, 

 and having satisfied himself that he was a favoured 

 object of attraction, he was coy and took to flight 

 incontinently ; I now sprang up from the firs, the 

 game being fairly afoot, and kept the upper ground. 

 The pursuit became close and hot, but as the fugi- 

 tive, like Johnny Gilpin, carried weight, I soon closed 

 with him. 



" You seem in a hurry, my good friend ; your 

 business must be pressing. What makes you run 

 so?" 



