256 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



application did not occur to me at the moment. 

 And here, by the way I beg to observe, however 

 odd it may seem, that you may know the best clean 

 fish, by their having tide lice upon them. 



"All hands to the boat again. Come, Rob, 

 give us a merry blaze ; never spare the tar barrel : 

 well done, Vulcan ! Now we have a splendid light 

 on the water, and can see well enough to read small 

 print at the bottom of it." 



" Sandy Trummel, ye great bear, what gars ye 

 stamp and scream at that rate ? " 



Sandy in fact not only stamped and screamed, 

 but swore that he was dreadfully brunt with the 

 pieces of charcoal and drops of flaming pitch which 

 insinuated themselves between his shirt and cape of 

 his jacket behind ; whereat Tom Purdie, who was 

 a considerate and humane man, took up the scoop 

 which was used for ladling out the boat, and filling 

 that capacious utensil with water to the extent 

 of its capacity, came behind the aggrieved, and 

 emptied the whole contents down his back. " And 

 now Sandy, mon," says he, " I hae made ye quite 

 comfortable, and ye owe me a gude turn." But, 

 who would have thought it ? The blood of the 

 Trummels was up ; and seizing a firebrand in a 

 style that did little honour to his gratitude, the 

 diluted one rushed forward intent on vengeance. 

 Grim looked Tom Purdie, and charging with his 

 leister, he held the foeman at bay. Who can say 

 what Homeric deeds might not have been done, 

 had not Charlie, first whispering to the master to 

 stand fast, given the boat a sudden whirl round 

 with the stroke of an oar, which laid Tom Purdie 



