LEISTERING SALMON. 99 



And, now, two other fish are under inquiry ; for 

 Wee Jamie, who is prowling about the banks, avers 

 that he disturbed some enormous monsters, which 

 swam leisurely down towards the next pool : and there, 

 to be sure, they are, milter and spawner, large, unclean, 

 copper-coloured salmon. 



Immediately, almost the whole group are mingled 

 closely together, in some confusion ; for each one is 

 anxious to strike, however imperfect the glimpse he 

 obtains of his object. Aloof, however, from the rest, 

 stand the Ettrick Shepherd and Wat Amos, calculat- 

 ing upon the return of at least one of the fish to the 

 former pool. Nor are they in error ; for, though vigi- 

 lant, those below have strangely mismanaged, and spoilt 

 their opportunity one of them extinguishing with the 

 end of his leister the torch-light which directed his eye 

 to the salmon ; another losing his balance in the very 

 act of striking, and sousing himself head over heels in 

 water not over-highly tempered ; and a third, after 

 having hit one of the fish, allowing it to dash upwards 

 towards Mr Hogg, who, in true style, brings it to land, 

 transfixed to the spine, and scarcely able, ere it expired, 

 to make any thing like a struggle to escape. 



The party in a short time passing Altrive, move up 

 towards Douglas Burn, near the mouth of which three 

 or four other fish are killed, one of them a large yel- 

 low trout, weighing above five, the rest, grilses, under 

 ten pounds. 



To a spectator at a short distance, not previously 

 aware of what is going on, a group of salmon leisterers 

 must possess a singular and romantic appearance, as- 

 sociating itself strongly with the olden times of Border 

 adventure. The torches, with crimson flare, search- 

 ing the hill-walled heaven, and hurrying, in all direc- 

 tions, fire and shadow over a dark mass of waters ; the 



