152 ANGLING SKETCHES 



water first comes into view, I lay down on the 

 ground and crawled like a deer-stalker to the 

 skyline. 



Then I got out the glass and reconnoitred. 

 There was my friend, sure enough ; moreover, he 

 was playing a very respectable trout. But he was 

 fishing on the near side of the loch, and though I 

 had quite a distinct view of his back, and indeed 

 of all his attenuated form, I was as far as ever 

 from recognising him, or guessing where, if any- 

 where, I had seen him before. I now determined 

 to stalk him ; but this was not too easy, as there 

 is literally no cover on the hillside except a long 

 ' march dyke ' of the usual loose stones, which ran 

 down to the loch-side, and indeed three or four 

 feet into the loch, reaching it at a short distance 

 to the right of the angler. Behind this I skulked, 

 in an eagerly undignified manner, and was just 

 about to climb the wall unobserved, when two 

 grouse got up, with their wild ' cluck cluck ' Of alarm , 

 and flew down past the angler and over the loch. 

 He did not even look round, but jerked his line 

 out of the water, reeled it up, and set off walking 



