WARM WORK 253 



almost vertically ; as the light glared on his face 

 you might see the keen glistening of his eye. In 

 an instant he raised up his leister, and down he 

 sprang from the rock right into the river, and with 

 that wild bound nailed the salmon to the channel. 

 There was a struggle with his arms for a few 

 seconds ; he then passed his hands down the pole of 

 the weapon a little way, brought himself vertically 

 over the fish, and lifted him aloft cheered by shouts 

 of applause from his friends on the shore. 



Two or three more fish were taken amongst the 

 stones at the tail of the cast, and the sport in the 

 Carrywheel being now ended, the fish were stowed 

 in the hold of the boat, the crew jumped ashore, 

 and a right hearty appeal was made to the whisky 

 bottle. It was first tendered to the veteran Tom 

 Purdie, to whom it was always observed to have a 

 natural gravitation, but to the astonishment of all, 

 he barely put his lips to the quaigh, and passed it 

 to his nephew. 



"Why, uncle, mon, what the deil's come owre 

 ye ? I never kent ye refuse a drappie afore, no not 

 sin I war a callant ; I canna thole to see ye gang 

 that gait." 



" Why, I'll tell ye what it is, Charlie. I got a 

 repreef from Sir Walter for being fou the ither 

 nicht." 



" Eh, uncle, how was that ? " 



" ' Why,' says Sir Walter, ' Tom,' says he, ' I sent 

 for ye on Monday, and ye were not at hame at 

 aight o'clock ; I doubt ye were fou, Tom : ' 'I'll 

 joust tell ye the hale truth,' says I ; ' I gaed round 

 by the men at wark at Rymer's Glen, and cam' in 



