348 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



course, I paid no respect, Mac vainly trying to keep him 

 quiet. When gaffed, this salmon proved a twelve pounder, 

 and fresh from the sea. 



The bellman had no less than three flies on his cast, only 

 about a foot apart ! But even had they been well separated, 

 or fished with singly, none of them, I am convinced, would 

 have had much chance of hooking a Lyon salmon. 



The hot day and hard work made a draught from the spring 

 at the nearest farmhouse very delicious ; and the luxury of " a 

 drink " is enhanced by sucking it through our patent drinking- 

 horn the hollow bone of a roe's fore-leg. 



Sunning himself close to the spring, a stone-blind man was 

 making pirn-lines in the most dexterous manner I ever saw. 

 He also had a little workshop, and coopered pails, " bowies," 

 &c., remarkably well. I bought a trout-line from him as a 

 curiosity, and a neat " cogue " to water the pony with from the 

 roadside burns. This blind man supports himself in comfort 

 even in a lonely Highland glen. 



The last fishing -day with Mac was unfortunate. At the 

 tail of the first pool, hitherto a barren one, I hooked a salmon. 

 It was lost entirely by Mac missing his first gaff, and being 

 too nervous to take advantage of a second chance, after which 

 the fish broke its hold. I had four more rises in different pools, 

 but no fastens, although I spared neither time nor change of 

 lure to effect one. A fine sky and good water, but fish rose 

 shyly, and only nipped at the fly. 



August was nearly ended, the weather settling again after 

 the floods, and river getting small. From the scanty water 

 there were only two pools I had much trust in, so I paid 

 them a stately visit in the " general merchant's " equipage. 

 In one of these pools I sprang a fish five times, fixing him 

 at the fifth offer, and losing him from being tenderly hooked. 

 In the other I killed a small fish of six pounds, but very 

 clean and handsome. 



After a tract of fine harvest-days the skies overcast, and 



