132 MAKES HIMSELF REALLY USEFUL. [PART I. 
condition; and although those which were thus 
caught would, when in proper condition, have been 
of a very good size (for even then they weighed 
as much as ten or twelve pounds each), yet they 
were consequently, for the most part, poor, ugly, 
ill-shaped brutes, and so little fit for the table, 
that, with the exception of a few which the gillies 
took home to be salted, such as could be rescued 
in time were put back again,—a course of pro- 
ceeding by no means to the taste of the Captor, 
who viewed it with marked dissatisfaction, evi- 
dently shewing by his manner that he considered 
we had no right whatever to interfere, and saying 
as plainly as a dog could speak, “I never put back 
any of your fish Why on earth should you 
meddle with mine!” I noticed with some sur- 
prise that several of those which had been thus 
reprieved seemed nothing daunted by the rough 
reception they had experienced, and might be seen 
returning after a few minutes to prosecute their 
search for the offal, as if nothing had happened. 
The keeper told me that, when they were alone 
together, the dog had often landed Salmon for 
him: as however we had human and mechanical 
aids at hand, we never availed ourselves of his 
services for that purpose. 
