SALMON-SPEARING 179 



and then, as the group retreated to the bank, he 

 again distinguished Hugh's voice good-humourcdly 

 depreciating his own prowess, by proclaiming the 

 unimportance of his capture, which was "joost a 

 sma' grilse, and no worth the mentioning an' it 

 were not for makin' up the number." 



The commotion created by this incident had 

 barely subsided, when again a sharp cry through 

 the stillness of the night announced the approach 

 of another fish, and again Frank heard the warning 

 taken up by one watcher after another, when, as he 

 stayed expecting each instant to hear Hugh anti- 

 cipate him in the encounter, his eye caught a mov- 

 ing ripple in the water, a small advancing wave 

 tailing into a broad wake, and with a wild feeling 

 of excitement he dropped into the river and waded 

 carefully in to meet it : he was yet six or seven 

 yards above it, as he stood nervously grasping his 

 spear, and still he stood motionless as a statue, till 

 the wave washed up close beside him, when sharp 

 and sudden he launched out his spear — swish ! — 

 and the iron rattled on the pebbles in the river, as 

 the salmon dived down beneath the blow which had 

 grazed its back, and shot away up the stream. 



" Alick, Alick, come here, I'm sure I struck it ! " 

 shouted the eager boy, as he rushed headlong after 

 his prey, ever and anon tripping over a stone and 



