SALMON FISHING 



' " Why, uncle, mon, what the deil 's come owre ye ? I 

 never kent ye refuse a drappie afore, no not sin' I war a callant ; 

 I canna thole to see ye gang that gait." 



' " Why, I '11 tell ye what it is, Charlie. I got a repreef 

 from Sir Walter for being fou the ither nicht. . . ." 



' Tom Purdie's forbearance, however, was not of an endur- 

 ing quality ; his eyes glistened as he followed the course of the 

 bottle ; three times was his arm extended to make a grap at it, 

 and thrice did he draw it back with modest confusion. At 

 length when all were served he could hold out no longer, but 

 elongating his dexter, he laid fast hold of the bottle, and filling 

 the quaigh to the brim, " Here goes," said he, " to the lousy 

 stranger." After he had drank, and mended his draught, he 

 kept the bottle in his own custody with a pretty smart allow- 

 ance in it, in the character of residuary legatee. I had an 

 account, however, to settle with him ; for being the only 

 stranger in company, I fancied his toast meant a reflection 

 upon my cleanliness. What did he mean by the dirty and 

 degrading epithet ? This I demanded, advancing with a 

 warlike countenance, and leister in the rest ; and had not Tom 

 been in a very benign humour, this book might never have been 

 inflicted on the public, for the man was well armed and resolute, 

 and might have leistered me according to art. But putting 

 on his sweetest smile, he assured me that by the " lousy 

 stranger " he meant a newly-run fish with tide lice on it, 

 " which," said he, " are far the best, ye ken." This I well 

 knew, though the application did not occur to me at the 

 moment. And here, by the way I beg to observe, however odd 

 it may seem, that you may know the best clean fish, by their 

 having tide lice upon them. 



' " All hands to the boat again. Come, Bob, give us a 

 merry blaze ; never spare the tar barrel ; well done, Vulcan ! 

 Now we have a splendid light on the water, and can see well 

 enough to read small print at the bottom of it." 



' " Sandy Trummel, ye great bear, what gars ye stamp and 

 scream at that rate." 



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