a8 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [cHaP. v1. 
for a few moments, as its bearer waited in the expectation that 
some fish which had been started by his companions would come 
within reach of his spear, as he stood with it ready poised, and 
his eager countenance lighted up by his torch as he bent over 
the water. Then would come loud shouts and a confused hurry- 
ing to and fro, as some great fish darted amongst the men, and 
loud and merry peals of laughter when some unlucky fellow 
darting at a fish in too deep water, missed his balance, and fell 
headlong into the pool. Every now and then a salmon would 
be seen hoisted into the air, and quivering on an uplifted spear. 
The fish, as soon as caught, was carried ashore, where it was 
knocked on the head and taken charge of by some man older 
than the rest, who was deputed to this office. Thirty-seven 
salmon were killed that night; and I must say that I entered 
into the fun, unmindful of its not being quite in accordance with 
my ideas of right and wrong; and I enjoyed it probably as much 
as any of the wild lads who were engaged in it. There was not 
much English talked amongst the party, as they found more ex- 
pressive words in Gaelic to vent their eagerness and impatience. 
All was good humour, however; and though they at first looked 
on me with some slight suspicion, yet when they saw that I 
enjoyed their torchlight fishing, and-entered fully into the spirit 
of it, they soon treated me with all consideration and as one of 
themselves. I happened to know one or two of the men; and. 
after it was over, and we were drying our drenched clothes in a 
neighbouring bothy, it occurred to me to think of the river 
bailiffs and watchers, several of whom I knew were employed on 
that part of the stream, and I asked where they were, that they 
did not interfere with the somewhat irregular proceeding in 
which we had all been engaged. “ ’Deed ay, sir, there are no 
less than twelve baillies and offishers on the water here, but they 
are mostly douce-like lads, and don’t interfere much with us, as 
we only come once or twice in the season. Besides which, they 
ken well that if they did they might get a wild ducking amongst 
us all, and they would na ken us again, as we all come from 
beyont the braes yonder. Not that we would wish to hurt the 
puir chiels,” continued my informer, as he took off a glass of 
whisky, ‘‘as they would be but doing their duty. They would 
as lave, however, I am thinking, be taking a quiet dram at Sandy 
