SALMON CASTING HIS CANTRIPS 147 



he wheeled again in a jiffy, and cam straight for my 

 feet as if he had been shot out o' a cannon ! I 

 thocht it was a' owre atween us, for I fand naething 

 at the wand as the line was soommin i' the pool a' 

 the way doon. I was deed sure I had lost him after 

 a' my quirks ; for whan they cast a cantrip o' that 

 kind, it's done to slacken the line to let them draw 

 the heuck out o' their mouths wi' their teethy 

 toung an' they are amaist sure to do sae. But he 

 was owre weel heuckit, this ane, to work his purpose 

 in that gyse, as ye sal hear ; for when by dint o' 

 runnin' back thrae the water as fast as I could, and 

 windin' up the line I had brought a bow on the tap 

 o' the rod, I fand the fish had riestit in the deepest 

 part o' the pool, trying a' that teeth an' toung could 

 do to get haud o' the heuck ; and there did he lie 

 for nearly an hour, for I had plenty o' time to look 

 at my watch, and now and then to tak' mony a snuff 

 too. But I was certain by this time that he was fast 

 heuckit, and I raised him again by cloddin stanes 

 afore him as near as I durst for hittin' the line. 

 But when I got him up at last there was mickle mair 

 to do than I thocht of ; for he ran up the pool and 

 doon the pool I dar' say fifty times, till my feet wur 

 dour sair wi' gangin sae lang on the channel : then 

 he gaed owre the stream a'thegither. I was glad to 

 let him change his gait ony way ; and he gaed down 

 to Glenbenna, that was in Whitebank's water, and I 

 wrocht him lang there. To mak' a lang tale short, 

 before I could get at him wi' the gaff, I was baith 

 hungry an' tyrt ; an' after a' he was firm heuckit, 

 in the teughest part o' the body, at the outside o' 



