254 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



by the men at wark at Rymer's Glen, and cam in by 

 Tarfield ; then I went to Darnick, and had a glass 

 o' whiskey wi' Sandy Trummel at Susy's, and I war 

 joust coming awa when Rob steppit in, and cried 

 for half a mutchkin. I was na for takkin mair, but 

 the glasses were filled, and I did not like to be beat 

 wi' them, so I tuk mine.' ' And is that all you had, 

 Tom ? ' said Sir Walter. ' Aye, indeed was it/ said 

 I ; ' but, Heaven have a care o' me, I never was the 

 war of it, till I was ganging up by Jemmy Mercer's 

 by Coat's Green ; and when I cam up by Kerr side 

 I wanted to see Maister Laidlaw, but I thoucht I 

 durst na gang in ; and how I got hame I dinna ken, 

 for I never mindet it na mair ; but our wife war in a 

 terrible bad key the morning, because I war sair 

 wanted last nicht.' 



' Well/ said the maister, ' ye mun never do the 

 like again, Tom/ We then ganged to the woods, 

 and thinned the trees ; and I laboured with the axe 

 at thae that Sir Walter marked. 



' Now Tom/ says he, ' you will go home with 

 me, for you have been working very hard, and a 

 glass of whiskey will do you good ' ; and he cawed 

 to Nicholson to bring Tom a glass o' Glenlivet. I 

 tuk it doon ; and, mon, if yee'd found it, it beat a' 

 the whiskey I ever tasted in my life. ' Well, Tom/ 

 said Sir Walter, ' how do ye feel after it ? Do ye 

 think another glass will do ye ony harm ? ' I said 

 naething, but I thoucht I wad like anither, and 

 Nicholson poured out ain, and I tuk it. Then the 

 maister said, ' Tom, do ye feel ony thing the war o' 

 it ? ' ' Nau, nau/ said I, ' but it's terrible powerfu', 



