78 THE SCAURDALE. 



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. 



After again attacking the cold salmon and vinegar, 

 oat-cake, and a most disagreeably-flavoured cheese, 

 forming the second and last course, I enjoyed a most 

 delightful ramble by moonlight, and we then sought 

 our pillows. So unprepossessing, however, was the 

 whole appearance of our pallets, and so overstocked 

 were they with a very active as well as biting kind of 

 little creature, that I preferred rolling myself up in my 

 rug and plaid, and sleeping on the outside, an example 

 which my companion was glad to follow after an hour's 

 experience of the inside. But so much had the sleep- 

 ing hours of the previous night been curtailed by our 

 early drive, that, once stretched there, we found no 

 difficulty in getting to sleep ; and the sun was high in 

 the heavens next morning before we were aroused by a 

 jesting message from the impatient gillies, Murdoch 

 and Hector, that the salmon would be all up the falls 

 and caught in the traps above, unless we were at them 

 speedily. 



The breakfast not being much more tempting than 



