286 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



freen's wi' a' the lairds in the coonty. 

 Whaurever I settle, a' the gamekeepers, 

 as I ha'e mentioned, gi'e me a wide 

 berth ; but that's no' the way wi' the lairds. 

 Ane by ane, they call upon me, and in 

 course o' time they've a' called ; or if a few 

 haven't their sporting tenants have. That's 

 what mak's me move on and be a sort o' 

 hameless wanderer ower the Hielands." 



We were still puzzled. 



" Don't you see ? " said Peter, his gaze 

 moving from one to the other in astonish- 

 ment. "How could you expec' me to 

 poach ony mair on your ain place land 

 or water after the proceedin's o' this 

 nicht? We've had a bit fecht and are 

 freen's noo. After I've had a blaw-oot 

 wi' a man whether I've licked him or he 

 has lickit me I never again go helpin' 

 mysel' in his preserves. I focht my way 

 into the freendship o' a' Inverness, and so 

 oot o' the coonty. I've done the same 

 in ae fine wide district in Perthshire, and 

 ye ken yoursel' that the same thing's 

 gradually happenin' here." 



