18 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 



passed them carelessly, and when but a few 

 yards in advance, my attention was attracted 

 to a small, struggling, brown fly, which had 

 apparently just dropped into the water. Rush- 

 ing towards it, and rising suddenly to the sur- 

 face, I greedily seized, and was preparing to 

 swallow, the delicate morsel ; but scarcely did 

 it touch my lips when a slight but smart sensa- 

 tion, as of a thorn pricking my mouth, was felt 

 by me, and I found myself dragged by some 

 invisible but irresistible force against the 

 stream, until, half choked, I approached the 

 boat, into which, by the aid of a light net, I 

 was instantly lifted. I found myself clasped 

 by a dreadfully warm hand, and held, in spite 

 of my struggles, firmly until the hook, attached 

 to the treacherous fly I had seized, was ex- 

 tracted, not untenderly, from my wounded jaw. 

 I was already more than half dead, limp, faint, 

 and bleeding. 



" ' It's just a wee parr beastie,' said the 

 elder of the two, preparing to slip me into the 

 water. 



" ' It's of no use putting it back,' said the 

 other ; e parr or not, it's dead.' 



ie ' It may dee and be dom'd ; I wash my 



