STRIKING FROM AN EMINENCE. 261 



hand, an' let her fa' doun again : hey, but I see him 

 the noo afore me ; — ou ! what an awfu' beast !" 



So saying, Charlie drove his leister furiously at him; 

 but whether one of the prongs struck against the edge 

 of the rock above him, which prevented its descent to 

 the bottom, or from whatever other cause, the stroke 

 was unsuccessful, and as he lifted the barren weapon 

 out of the water, there arose a merry shout and guffaw 

 from the spectators on the shore. 



" Cap! cap !" cried Charlie, "now haud yer hand; gie 

 me up the boat ; — od, but I'll hae him yet ; he's gane 

 amangst thae hiding stanes." 



So saying, Charlie brought the head of the boat to 

 the stream, pushed her higher up, and pulled her 

 ashore ; he then landed, and seizing a brand out of the 

 fire, put it into Jamieson's hand, who preceded his 

 eager steps like a male Thais, or one of the Eumenides 

 in pantaloons. He now stood upon a rock which hung 

 over the river, and from that eminence, and with the 

 assistance of the firebrand, examined the bottom of it 

 carefully. His body was bent over the water, and his 

 ready leister held 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. 

 17 



