The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-02-25
FISH OR PIXIE?

1t was hidden away in the chalice O
the hills like q dewdrop in the folds o
q burdock leaf-one of those mountain
tarns of Western Ross which are rouse,
by sunshine into distinctive beauty O
their own, deadened by mist out of al
individuality, so that the wanderin,
fisherman has some excuse for bein,
careless of names, of everything save thu
trout lying between the shallow and thu
deep. The time was June, and / haC
slipped away from London for three
weeks freedom ere the gathering of the
gillies and the general raid of the popu,
lace on the Sassenach make the West
Highlands a purgatory instead of a par.
adise to those who have not the purse OF
Fortunatus.
Day after day rose cloudless, serene,
in true June fashion. There was no one
to hurry me, no N to hint at o light
basket. As for sport, fish must feed,
v g in the driest weather, and some
times, il the heat haze dimmed the wa
ter and q causeless breeze set the cot
ton tassels swinging, a brief half hour
would come, sufficient for most men.
Then the charm of the long evenings,
when. though the light left the world, it
fingered in the sky till dawn brought
renewal, kept me in thrall and drove
my cook to distraction.
/ had had q blank day on the bigger
lochs. Even the time between z and half
past, when the glitter goes from the wa
ter, brought me no luck. On my way
home, partly for the sake of lingering
longer In the surprising beauty of the
moors, / bethought me of q blue dot,
which, according to the map, should
lie half a mile to the westward.
/ shall never forget my first sight of
Loeb Finaich, or Loeb of the Heather,
as it was called. Held in the hollow of
the hills, it had two arms, one stretching
west to where the moorland sloped
swiftly to the sea. Thus at its farther
end the shining level of water looked
about as If to plunge into space, intent
on quenching the fires of sunset in the
sky. The other arm wound, dark and
deep like q Swallowed mirror, into q pre-
clpltous correi, where the snowdrifts
still lay, despite the heat. There was
an unearthly stiffness and silence in its
beauty which thrilled me through and
through. A distinct desire to take ref.
uge In the commonplace made me hurry
to a strip Of shingle and throw my fly
where a faint shadow told of weeds be-
low the water. The next instant I for
got everything in the knowledge that a
big fish had risen short. The brown
body and turkey wing lit like O thistle
down again and again without re-
Spouse, and I was about to turn away
when a circle OF widening ripples told
me the brute was at me once more.
Mortal angler could not resist the chal-
lenge. / threw over it, around it. to
windward, to leeward of il, without
success. The glare had left even the
eastern shore. The sunset had faded to
pearly grays and colds. 1t was growing
late. But n more cast-by all that is
tantalizing-at me againI
Very annoying, said q voice be-
hind me as my fly fell ON the, water,
light, but determined.
i turned in surprise. Some ten wards
on on the bank behind me a man of
about 80 was leaning ON q landing net, |
from his dress a fisher like myself, |
though he carried no rod.
Very annoying" / echoed, "but I'll
get the brute yet"
II doubt it. / thought 90, too. but /
was mistaken"
TO q fisherman the confession of fail
ure in a rival is never disheartening.
] put a little more skill into nv cast.
that was all.
1T has been a beautiful day. hasn't
" went on the voice behind, just as
the fish stirred again. las fine . mid.
summer eve al / remember. BY the
way, do the folk about here tell tales at
thed dangers of St. Johns eve, as they
used to dor"
Ne ! replied shortly, for / was
rapidly losing my temper over that
devil OF q fish, shut I can imagine Ii.
Pixies, fairies and all that bosh.O
just 50. All that bosh."
Something In his tone made me pause.
Well, II 10 bosh, isn't it?'' I echoed.
Doubtless. and yet''-he paused In
his turn-how are you to know that the
big fish yonder which Is tempting Won
70 iinger here-on 81. Johns eye. mark
you--is not b pixie?'
The conceit amused me. Besides the
brute might think better. Of it's ways
after . rest 4 Laid aside my rod. took
on my pipe and leaned against the bank
- which my new acquaintance had
ssaxed himself.
because it isn't," r said stolidIy.
Nevertheless Il i > thing that il ab-