THE "WHUSTLER" 253 



the Boer ; but she was an innocent babe 

 to this fish." 



"Dry your eyes, Ronald. He'll sur- 

 render some time." 



" No' she. Ye dinna' seem to under- 

 stand, sir. D'ye no' see that when she 

 starts again after this long rest she will 

 be quite restorit — just as bad as if we 

 had never run her at a' ? Wi' that wee 

 toy o' a rod, ye've dune her no harm 

 whatever. If we ever get oot o' this, and 

 ha'e to dance after her again, it will just 

 be as if you had hookit a new salmon, 

 and we'll ha'e the same business a' ower. 

 I see nae end tilt." 



Neither did I ; but I saw something 

 else. Although the light had almost 

 gone, I saw that there was a ripple on 

 the water at the head of the loch, far 

 away. It was coming towards us rapidly. 

 Soon, too, the sound of the burns on the 

 hillsides began to grow in volume and in 

 briskness. Hitherto the noises of their 

 falling waters had been soft and hushed, 

 half lost in the immediate still atmosphere 



