THE LATE SALMO SALAR, ESQ. 55 



CHAPTER X. 



" Thou rash intruding fool ! I took thee for thy betters." 



Hamlet. 



" s Hurrah ! hurrah ! A clean fish at last ! 

 And what a beauty ! What do you think of 

 that ? ' 



" ' Hoot ! It's no fash ava ! It's just a kelt 

 beastie.' 



" ' A kelt ! Why, now I look at it, it is a 

 kelt ; but it is a grand fish, and the sport it 

 showed first-rate.' 



" ( And what for no' ? A fish that's fattened 

 in the river, wi' guid, wholesome food, is just 

 as strong as ony fattened in the sea, an' it 

 kens, mind ye, every hole, and stream, and 

 rock in the pool, an' it's no' sae frightened at 

 the bank's side as a fash fresh-run from the 

 sea, where there is no bound on ony side.' 



" ' And about the eating ? ' 



" ' Weel, I'll no' say that the eating is sae 

 guid as a clean fresh-run saumon : 'deed, 

 there's naething in nature can beat that; the 



