108 A PROPER MESS. 



whirring rattle, and cut one of my fingers sharply. I 

 followed as best I might, prancing in the water like a 

 war-horse, with the spray about my ears. Wattie 

 hallood out, and said I know not what ; but the tone 

 of his voice was far from being complimentary. Nearly 

 all my line of a hundred yards was now run out ; when 

 the fish made a sudden turn, crossed to the opposite 

 bank, and coasted up it amongst the rocks. Here again 

 Wattie was perfectly wild. 



" Gang back, I tell ye, — haud up yer gaud, — shorten 

 yer line, — keep aboon him, ye gomrell ! Ou, ye are 

 drownit as sure as deeth ! Pirn in, pirn in ! — pirn out, 

 pirn out ! Gang forrat, gang forrat ! — gang ahint, 

 gang ahint ! " These contradictory exclamations I could 

 have excused, as I believe they were warranted by the 

 sudden turns of the fish ; but the fellow had absolutely the 

 temerity to attempt to take my rod from me, whereat I 

 lashed out behind, and gave him sundry kicks, as strong 

 and hearty as could be managed with my degenerate shoes. 



I did shorten my line a little, however ; but the water 

 &c. pressed against it so heavily that I could not extricate 

 it as I wished. I had now receded to the shore, and 

 gained, as I thought, the victory. Being resolved to be 

 canny, I fixed my eyes intently upon the point where 

 the line dipped into the water, under which I conceived 

 the fish to be ; but to my surprise I caught a glimpse 

 of my playfellow with the tail of my eye, springing out 

 of the water, and towing my tackle after him about 

 twenty yards above the spot where I conceived him to 

 be. I was in a perfect tremor — ye gods, how I did 

 shake ! But that did not last long, as the line all of a 



