244 TROUT FISHING 



" Aye reel up when ye can. It pits off 

 the evil hour." 



The evil hour ! At times of excite- 

 ment the imagination is alert, active ; and 

 Ronald's words started a new train of 

 thought. When was the evil hour to 

 come ? Already it seemed a long time 

 since the whustler had made his presence 

 felt. Already we had gone careering after 

 him through the little bay lying to the 

 south of the river from Loch Doine ; 

 thence we had crossed the mouth of the 

 Monachyle Burn : these were landmarks 

 on the northward course. On the way 

 down the loch, Monachyle Mohr was 

 already far behind ; we were now flying 

 past Rhuveag, a pretty cottage from 

 whose chimneys the blue smoke of wood- 

 fires was lingering opalescent among the 

 dark-green pines in the background ; soon 

 we should be at Craigruie Point, off 

 which the loch is unnavigable when the 

 west winds are out in earnest. The evil 

 hour ! Were not we in pretty evil case 

 already ? 



