258 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



rapids ; but Charles Purdie hit the thing off to a 

 nicety. They then burned the Glass-wheel Pot, 

 the Oak Tree, and the Noirs, in all of which they 

 got a few fish. 



"Rob," said Charlie, "wail out some o' yer 

 sticks that they may be weel kinelt afore we get 

 into Brig-end Pule ; now, lads, ye mun cap well 

 here, for she will gang owre the stream wi' a 

 terrible flee ; od ! I see them glancing down the 

 pule as thick as herrin'; Sandy, mon, but ye're 

 dancing again ; what's come ower ye ? ye'll be want- 

 ing Tom Purdie's big ladle again, I'm thinkin'." 



" The deil may hae Tarn Purdie and his muckle 

 ladle ; for as he nockit off a bit fish in the boat, he 

 dung yun o' the taes o' the waster intil ma leg, he 

 is aye sae camstearie." 



" Ye canna blame me, Sandy, for the mischanter, 

 for ye are aye stammering among the fish like a 

 haveril as ye are, and hauf fou into the bargain. 

 Halloo, Sandy, ye'U no crack o' yer deeds the 

 nicht, for yer waster's aye clanking against the 

 stanes, whilst the maister is striking the fish afore 

 ye by dizens ; and see, muckle Tarn has lifted in 

 yun amaist as lang as himsel'." 



" Come, come, lads," says the master, " hold 

 your clish-ma-clavers, for we are just going into 

 Brig-end Pool ; so keep back the boat as well as 

 you can, or we shall go fiery fast over the stream." 



As the boat neared the pool, the men shouted 

 out, " Auld Michael ! auld Michael ! the charm for 

 auld Michael Scott : trim the boat, and take care 

 the muckle wizard doesna loup intill her." " Od, 

 lads ! " cries Tom Purdie, " pit yer best fut fore- 



