THE SCAURDALE. 87 



required no little agility to reach it, his aged limbs 

 were unable to follow me, and the boiling waters pre- 

 cluded the possibility of wading. My only plan, there- 

 fore, was to return to the bank; but this was not easily 

 done. To retrace a step once taken is often difficult, 

 and in the present instance I should have to perform a 

 succession of leaps from one slippery stony point to 

 another, with a strong salmon pulling at me the while, 

 and the certainty that if I slackened my line a moment, 

 or made one false step, he would escape me. In this 

 dilemma, however, Murdoch's experience and ingenuity 

 came to my relief. He pointed out to me a stone, 

 which I could gain without any very great difficulty, 

 and where he could throw me the handle of the land- 

 ing-net, with which I might feel my way and balance 

 myself steadily until I regained terra firma. 



This plan, carried out coolly and deliberately, as my 

 only chance, answered thoroughly; and I presently 

 found myself by Murdoch's side, safe myself, and the 

 salmon still feebly struggling on the hook. 



The danger now over, I drew him gradually to the 

 bank, and Murdoch lifted him lovingly out of the water, 

 when, to our astonishment, we found that he was only 

 hooked externally, the fly having caught in his gill in 

 the general rush. So terminated my sport for to-day ; 

 for, on looking up, I saw Alister on the bridge waiting 

 for me. As it was growing dusk, and the river not 

 yet in first-rate order, he thought we had better post- 

 pone operations till the morrow, when, if no more rain 

 fell, the water would be clearer and the fish in a more 

 taking mood. So we gave up, and started for the inn. 

 Alister had himself caught a couple of good fish one 

 nearly ten pounds in weight, the other about two 

 pounds less. Our creel, thus far, therefore, was eleven 

 fish eight salmon and three sea-trout. 



