THE TILL AND ITS TKIBUTAKIE3. 133 



CHAPTER XI. 



THE TILL AND ITS TRIBUTAEIES. 

 THE BEAUMONT THE COLLEGE WATER THE GLEN. 



THE angler, about to fish these streams, should leave Kelso 

 before breakfast. A walk of about six miles brings him to Town 

 Yetholm. Here he should rest a few hours, arranging his 

 tackle, refreshing himself thoroughly, put 011 his fishing shoes, 

 and having secured a supply of live minnows, or which have 

 just lived, let him proceed to fish the Beaumont. My first 

 impressions were unfavourable to the Beaumont. I had no 

 minnows, and the water was low. The trout seemed scarce, and 

 the few taken were small. But a short way down the stream, I 

 overtook an aged fox-hunter, a stalwart man of sixty at least, 

 upright, 'Strong and massive, gentlemanly and frank. We met 

 as brother anglers and freemasons do, and were acquainted at 

 once. His tackle consisted of a strong short rod, and good firm 

 line, which he kept also short. A boy attended him with an 

 old tin narrow -necked oil jar ; this held the minnows, alive and 

 ready for use ; they could not possibly escape out of the narrow- 

 necked jar. He fished only with minnow ; knew where all the 

 large trout lay ; caught them only ; and was cool, collected, and 

 pleasant, as became an old English squire of the Vernon breed. 



I learned his history by merely remarking that there were 

 good fishing streams in Northumberland, from which I presume 

 he came. "But in fact," said he, "I live here with my family 

 to economise" (he was still, I should think, some seventeen stone 

 weight) . "I have a house near the village here, and amuse 

 myself in this way." "But in following the Northumberland 

 hounds," I said, "you must have known my excellent friend, 



Henry W ." " What ? " -he said, " Henry W - your 



friend? then we also are friends, for a nobler heart never lived." 

 And so it was. They had lived like brothers, and followed the 

 fox -hounds so long as they could follow them. But a hundred 



