NIL DESPERANDUM 157 



at least, I was sufficiently near it to hope against 

 hope for success. The next day, in the same 

 water, fishing till four o'clock (the tide was now 

 growing more obliging), I beat all previous re- 

 cords. I had become alive to the fact that the 

 pools were swarming with fish, and that they 

 were as greedy as they were numerous : so I 

 suggested in the morning that a gillie should 

 come down to the pool after luncheon on the 

 chance of finding something to carry up. I 

 shall never forget Duncan's face of surprise when 

 he came down to where I was fishing, and found 

 the banks of the long pool fairly strewn with 

 fish. He walked off to a neighbouring cottage 

 for a sack, and a little later staggered to the road 

 bearing it on his back laden with ten fish, the 

 largest 17i lb., the smallest 4| lb., and then 

 waited till he could deposit his burden in a 

 friendly peat cart homeward bound. 



The next day the same pool yielded seven 

 salmon, and Friday was the only blank day I 

 had. Blue sky, white frost, brilliant sunshine, 

 and absolute calm were too much for even the 

 greedy and unsophisticated denizens of the pool, 

 and during a great part of the day I sat on the 

 bank, chatting to the keeper, who joined me 

 for a short time on his rounds, and told me that 

 he had counted over ninety fish in one pool 

 higher up, waiting to take advantage of any 

 change of sky or atmosphere. Even upon this 



