OCTOBER 235 



himself might have five. An exag- 

 gerated reputation is not an unqualified 

 advantage. 



" Boast not of the day in the morning," 

 as the Spaniards say. Ten o'clock passed, 

 and eleven, and twelve ; yet the fish were 

 still all in the river. Not another rise 

 had I had. My gillie had begun to look 

 disappointed, and even censorious. He 

 hadna' thocht it possible to be sae long and 

 sae hard at it on sic a day wi'oot a fush. 



" We may get one here, John," I 

 answered as, having passed a clump of 

 trees, we came upon a pool in which two 

 fish had just risen at the same moment. 



John did not answer, and on turning 

 to see why he was silent I found him 

 looking uneasily across the river. His 

 features, hitherto always ready to break 

 into a smile, were set in something like 

 alarm. He tried to let them relax when 

 he knew I was looking at him. Not 

 altogether succeeding, he reluctantly 

 entered upon an explanation. 



"That's whaur Peter bides," he said, 



