GRANTING A FAVOUR. 213 



rests for a moment or two, and shifts her ears in order 

 to collect the news from all quarters of the compass. 

 Even so did our friend, and having satisfied himself 

 that he was a favoured object of attraction, he was coy, 

 and took to flight incontinently ; I now sprang up 

 from the firs, the game being fairly afoot, and kept the 

 upper ground. The pursuit became close and hot, but 

 as the fugitive, like Johnny Gilpin, carried weight, I 

 soon closed with him. 



" You seem in a hurry, my good friend ; your busi- 

 ness must be pressing. What makes you run so ? " 



" Did ye no see that bogle there by the quarry 

 stream, that garred me rin this gait, hand on for yer 

 lives, sirs, for if he overtakes us, we are deid men." 



" Why, the truth is, Sandy, that I do not choose to 

 haud on at present, because I came forth in quest of a 

 bonny salmon, and cannot go home without one ; could 

 you not help me to such a thing ? " 



At this Sandy took a pinch of snuff from his mull, 

 and seeing my eyes fixed upon the length and pro- 

 tuberance of his pocket, answered quaintly enough, — 



" Aye, that can I, and right glad am I to do ye a fa- 

 vour, ye shall no want for a salmon whilst I have one." 



So saying, he pulled forth a ten pounder, which oc- 

 cupied all the lower regions of his jacket. " How the 

 beast got here," said he, as he extracted him gradually, 

 " I dinna ken, but I am thinking that he must have 

 louped intill my pocket, as I war wading the river." 



" Nothing more likely, and I will admit him to have 

 done so for once, but, mark me, I will not admit of 

 any salmon doing so in future without my permission in 

 14 



