244 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



no to Peter. He's the maister o's a' in 

 thae pairts." 



During most of this talk we had been 

 moving slowly down the pool, casting. 

 Just as John had resumed, to tell about 

 Peter's riches, which were reputed to be 

 considerable, a fish rose at the fly. He 

 strained heavily as he went down, and I 

 had no thought that he could be other than 

 one of the salmon which had been leap- 

 ing ; but he immediately came up again 

 with a dash that carried him into the air, 

 and we saw him to be a seatrout. 



"We'll ha'e to go noo, Sir," said John, 

 as he lifted the fish out on the gaff. " It's 

 nearly lunch time. But we're only a 

 short step frae the mill-stream." 



At the tryst we found Bismarck 

 seated on the bank, waiting. 



" Any luck ? " I asked. 



" None," said he. 



I beckoned to John. He brought my 

 creel, and showed the seatrout, which was 

 nearly a four-pounder. 



" Yes : I see," said Bismarck, quickly 



