166 AUTUMNS IN ARGYLESHIRE 



pouring over the rocks above, and through the 

 arches of the bridge, I mentally admit that there 

 is no great hurry about it. My regular marks 

 are covered, and the water is indubitably too 

 high ; but it is clear and falling. We can see 

 by the sticks and rubbish left on the bank that 

 it has been higher by three feet during the night, 

 and there is even now hope of a fish in the shal- 

 lows at the heads and tails of the deep pools ; 

 while later, if the day holds up, the water should 

 arrive at a height which will fish well. Why 

 should I despair? My little terrier Punch sets 

 me a lesson of perseverance by dashing off at 

 once after the same rabbit which he always 

 hunts at this place with as much apparent assur- 

 ance of success as if he had never failed before, 

 and in a minute is digging again at the same 

 old hole into which his enemy has frisked as 

 usual, with a saucy jerk of his tail, as if he en- 

 joyed the joke. Alfred, too, is evidently san- 

 guine, and eager that I should begin, as he 

 has already screwed the landing-net on to 'the 

 handle ; so I sit down, and take out the joints of 

 my rod, a light fourteen-feet greenheart double- 

 handed trout-rod, tie them carefully together, and 

 pass the line through the rings. Next I try 

 each joint of the casting-line, and select the 

 largest blue doctor I can find in my book for 

 a tail-fly, and a dropper of attractive appearance, 

 a black dog, rather larger than I usually fish 



