36 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 



towards Melrose. A' up an' after him, an' for 

 a weighty mon lie made mickle running. When 

 he saw me he dropped the fish, but no' stopping 

 to pick it up, a' just kept on under the railway 

 brig, down the meadows, by Ailwand Foot, 

 under Melrose Brig, an' there, as he was creep- 

 ing up the steep bank, a' grippit hold of him 

 ahint ; a' grippit hard, an' he turned and said, 

 " Sandy, lad ! dinna grip sae hard ; ye'll rive 

 ma breeks." "Ay, Baillie," said I, " is that 

 you ? How cam' ye to do it P V And he said 

 quite solemn-like, " Sandy I " he said, " It was 

 neether the need nor the greed, but joost the 

 saumon-roe !" " Ech, Baillie," a' said, "a' 

 wadna' have believed it of ye, but it will be 

 dear saumon-roe to ye." And sae it proved, 

 for he was fined five pund, and ither harm cam' 

 of it. 5 



" ' And served him right,' said his companion; 

 ' a man ought to be hanged who kills a spawn- 

 ing fish on its bed. Why ! the very Jews under 

 divine command spared the sitting bird, the 

 nursing mother ; and what is the value of a 

 flavourless bird laying half-a-dozen eggs at 

 most, to that of the noble salmon which lays 

 eight thousand ! ' 



