148 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



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 comin' into the throat, 

 he wheeled again in a jiffy, and cam' straight for my 

 feet as if he had been shot out o' a cannon ! I 

 thocht it was a' owre atween us, for I fand naething 

 at the wand as the line was soomin' i' the pool a' 

 the way doon. I was deid sure I had lost him after 

 a' my quirks ; for whan they cast a cantrip o' that 

 kind, it's done to slacken the line to let them draw 

 the heuck out o' their mouths wi' their teethy 

 toung an' they are amaist sure to do sae. But 

 he was owre weel heuckit, this ane, to work his 

 purpose in that gyse, as ye sail hear ; for when by 

 dint o' runnin' back thrae the water as fast as I 

 could and windin' up the line, I had brought a bow 

 on the tap o' the rod, I fand the fish had reistit in 

 the deepest part o' the pool, trying a' that teeth an' 

 toung could do to get haud o' the heuck ; and there 

 did he lie for nearly an hour, for I had plenty o' 

 time to look at my watch, and now and then to 

 tak' mony a snuff too. But I was certain by this 

 time that he was fast heuckit, and I raised him 

 again by cloddin' stanes afore him as near as I durst 

 for hittin' the line. But when I got him up at 

 last there was mickle mair to do than I thocht of ; 

 for he ran up the pool and doun the pool I dar' say 

 fifty times, till my feet wur dour sair wi' gangin' sae 

 lang on the channel : then he gaed owre the stream 

 a'thegither. I was glad to let him change his gait 

 ony way ; and he gaed down to Glenbenna, that 

 was in Whitebank's water, and I wrocht him lang 

 there. To mak' a lang tale short, before I could 



