THE SALMON OF CLOOTIE'S HOLE. 345 



tipped peak from a snow-covered glacier, if we may 

 be allowed to compare what is very little and ugly 

 with what is very great and beautiful. His clothes 

 had once been dark, but were now of the peculiar 

 greenish hue which long exposure to the weather 

 brings on ; and they were marked with many little 

 ragged holes out of which obstinate flies had been cut 

 or torn. He wore a close-fitting cap with lappets over 

 the ears ; and his eyes were small and sharp, and 

 generally had a horrid twinkle in them. 



It has been already mentioned that our feelings 

 towards Angus were not cordial, but they were pro- 

 bably never so far from being friendly as when we 

 saw those two fish. He displayed them in a casual 

 sort of manner, and there was, or we thought there 

 was, a more than usually offensive look about him as 

 he came up. We ignore his approach, pretending not 

 to have seen him ; but Angus little cares for that. 

 He sits down on the bank at once without waiting for 

 an invitation, and enters into friendly conversation 

 with Johnnie. 



" Holloa ! Oh, good morning, Angus ! You're in 

 luck this morning. Two fish ! Where did you get 

 them 1 Been in the water some time, eh ] " 



This was a most foolish remark, made without 

 thinking, on the spur of the moment, and the result 

 showed how much better it is always to stick to the 

 truth. 



" Just that," says Angus. " They're no bad for me, 



