150 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



Sometimes, also, they will leap out for pastime, 

 and at others from fear. Thus if a salmon has been 

 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 solar, and he was a lusty one, would not 

 accept, but acknowledged 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 for- 

 bear 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 



