COUNTING THE FISH 259 



muckle wizard does na loup intil her." " Oh, lads," 

 cries Tom Purdie, " pit yer best fut foremost ; they 

 are lying afore us like sacks, and will be as thick as 

 you can dab them up. Mind the light, Sandy, and 

 take care that kipper does na wallop out o' the boat. 

 See what a muckle fish Charlie has got ! " 



In fact the men were making a great slaughter ; 

 and when they had gone over the pool two or three 

 times, had half filled the boat with the spoil ; so as 

 they found they were well laden, they called to Rob 

 Colyard to come forward with his cart and take them 

 home. 



" Shove the boat to the shore ; Colyard, come 

 forrat wi' yer cart ; that'll do, mon ; aw honds to 

 wark, count the fish as ye pit them in ; Charlie, how 

 many hae ye coonted ? ' J 



* There jest a hunder and twa, great and smaw, 

 whitling, bull-trout, saumonts, and a'thegither." 



The men passed round the whiskey bottle, and we 

 resumed our sport ; I, Harry Otter, stood as before 

 at the head of the boat, and the other men in their 

 allotted places ; we passed pretty swiftly down the 

 streams, broadside in front, striking many fish, till 

 we came near the Elfin Burn, when, observing that 

 the water-break in the centre of the river, caused by 

 a concealed rock, was more gentle than usual, I 

 thought the boat would strike, so I called out to 

 Charlie for caution. 



" Houte, toute, he mun let her gang ; there is 

 plenty of water to take her over." 



Charlie Purdie was never more mistaken in his 

 life ; the stream drove us downward at a rapid race, 



