the water-babies-第16章

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　and　trot　about　after　you；　and　show　you　good　sport　if　he　can　…　for　he　is　an　affectionate　fellow；　and　as　fond　of　sport　as　you　are　…　and　if　he　can't；　tell　you　fibs　instead；　a　hundred　an　hour；　and　wonder　all　the　while　why　poor　ould　Ireland　does　not　prosper　like　England　and　Scotland；　and　some　other　places；　where　folk　have　taken　up　a　ridiculous　fancy　that　honesty　is　the　best　policy。

Or　was　it　like　a　Welsh　salmon　river；　which　is　remarkable　chiefly　（at　least；　till　this　last　year）　for　containing　no　salmon；　as　they　have　been　all　poached　out　by　the　enlightened　peasantry；　to　prevent　the　CYTHRAWL　SASSENACH　（which　means　you；　my　little　dear；　your　kith　and　kin；　and　signifies　much　the　same　as　the　Chinese　FAN　QUEI）　from　coming　bothering　into　Wales；　with　good　tackle；　and　ready　money；　and　civilisation；　and　common　honesty；　and　other　like　things　of　which　the　Cymry　stand　in　no　need　whatsoever？

Or　was　it　such　a　salmon　stream　as　I　trust　you　will　see　among　the　Hampshire　water…meadows　before　your　hairs　are　gray；　under　the　wise　new　fishing…laws？　…　when　Winchester　apprentices　shall　covenant；　as　they　did　three　hundred　years　ago；　not　to　be　made　to　eat　salmon　more　than　three　days　a　week；　and　fresh…run　fish　shall　be　as　plentiful　under　Salisbury　spire　as　they　are　in　Holly…hole　at　Christchurch；　in　the　good　time　coming；　when　folks　shall　see　that；　of　all　Heaven's　gifts　of　food；　the　one　to　be　protected　most　carefully　is　that　worthy　gentleman　salmon；　who　is　generous　enough　to　go　down　to　the　sea　weighing　five　ounces；　and　to　come　back　next　year　weighing　five　pounds；　without　having　cost　the　soil　or　the　state　one　farthing？

Or　was　it　like　a　Scotch　stream；　such　as　Arthur　Clough　drew　in　his　〃Bothie〃：…


〃Where　over　a　ledge　of　granite　Into　a　granite　bason　the　amber　torrent　descended。　。　。　。　。　Beautiful　there　for　the　colour　derived　from　green　rocks　under；　Beautiful　most　of　all；　where　beads　of　foam　uprising　Mingle　their　clouds　of　white　with　the　delicate　hue　of　the　stillness。　。　。　。　Cliff　over　cliff　for　its　sides；　with　rowan　and　pendant　birch　boughs。〃　。　。　。


Ah；　my　little　man；　when　you　are　a　big　man；　and　fish　such　a　stream　as　that；　you　will　hardly　care；　I　think；　whether　she　be　roaring　down　in　full　spate；　like　coffee　covered　with　scald　cream；　while　the　fish　are　swirling　at　your　fly　as　an　oar…blade　swirls　in　a　boat…race；　or　flashing　up　the　cataract　like　silver　arrows；　out　of　the　fiercest　of　the　foam；　or　whether　the　fall　be　dwindled　to　a　single　thread；　and　the　shingle　below　be　as　white　and　dusty　as　a　turnpike　road；　while　the　salmon　huddle　together　in　one　dark　cloud　in　the　clear　amber　pool；　sleeping　away　their　time　till　the　rain　creeps　back　again　off　the　sea。　　You　will　not　care　much；　if　you　have　eyes　and　brains；　for　you　will　lay　down　your　rod　contentedly；　and　drink　in　at　your　eyes　the　beauty　of　that　glorious　place；　and　listen　to　the　water…ouzel　piping　on　the　stones；　and　watch　the　yellow　roes　come　down　to　drink　and　look　up　at　you　with　their　great　soft　trustful　eyes；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃You　could　not　have　the　heart　to　shoot　at　us？〃　　And　then；　if　you　have　sense；　you　will　turn　and　talk　to　the　great　giant　of　a　gilly　who　lies　basking　on　the　stone　beside　you。　　He　will　tell　you　no　fibs；　my　little　man；　for　he　is　a　Scotchman；　and　fears　God；　and　not　the　priest；　and；　as　you　talk　with　him；　you　will　be　surprised　more　and　more　at　his　knowledge；　his　sense；　his　humour；　his　courtesy；　and　you　will　find　out　…　unless　you　have　found　it　out　before　…　that　a　man　may　learn　from　his　Bible　to　be　a　more　thorough　gentleman　than　if　he　had　been　brought　up　in　all　the　drawing…rooms　in　London。

No。　　It　was　none　of　these；　the　salmon　stream　at　Harthover。　　It　was　such　a　stream　as　you　see　in　dear　old　Bewick；　Bewick；　who　was　born　and　bred　upon　them。　　A　full　hundred　yards　broad　it　was；　sliding　on　from　broad　pool　to　broad　shallow；　and　broad　shallow　to　broad　pool；　over　great　fields　of　shingle；　under　oak　and　ash　coverts；　past　low　cliffs　of　sandstone；　past　green　meadows；　and　fair　parks；　and　a　great　house　of　gray　stone；　and　brown　moors　above；　and　here　and　there　against　the　sky　the　smoking　chimney　of　a　colliery。　　You　must　look　at　Bewick　to　see　just　what　it　was　like；　for　he　has　drawn　it　a　hundred　times　with　the　care　and　the　love　of　a　true　north　countryman；　and；　even　if　you　do　not　care　about　the　salmon　river；　you　ought；　like　all　good　boys；　to　know　your　Bewick。

At　least；　so　old　Sir　John　used　to　say；　and　very　sensibly　he　put　it　too；　as　he　was　wont　to　do：

〃If　they　want　to　describe　a　finished　young　gentleman　in　France；　I　hear；　they　say　of　him；　'IL　SAIT　SON　RABELAIS。'　　But　if　I　want　to　describe　one　in　England；　I　say；　'HE　KNOWS　HIS　BEWICK。'　　And　I　think　that　is　the　higher　compliment。〃

But　Tom　thought　nothing　about　what　the　river　was　like。　　All　his　fancy　was；　to　get　down　to　the　wide　wide　sea。

And　after　a　while　he　came　to　a　place　where　the　river　spread　out　into　broad　still　shallow　reaches；　so　wide　that　little　Tom；　as　he　put　his　head　out　of　the　water；　could　hardly　see　across。

And　there　he　stopped。　　He　got　a　little　frightened。　　〃This　must　be　the　sea；〃　he　thought。　　〃What　a　wide　place　it　is！　　If　I　go　on　into　it　I　shall　surely　lose　my　way；　or　some　strange　thing　will　bite　me。　I　will　stop　here　and　look　out　for　the　otter；　or　the　eels；　or　some　one　to　tell　me　where　I　shall　go。〃

So　he　went　back　a　little　way；　and　crept　into　a　crack　of　the　rock；　just　where　the　river　opened　out　into　the　wide　shallows；　and　watched　for　some　one　to　tell　him　his　way：　　but　the　otter　and　the　eels　were　gone　on　miles　and　miles　down　the　stream。

There　he　waited；　and　slept　too；　for　he　was　quite　tired　with　his　night's　journey；　and；　when　he　woke；　the　stream　was　clearing　to　a　beautiful　amber　hue；　though　it　was　still　very　high。　　And　after　a　while　he　saw　a　sight　which　made　him　jump　up；　for　he　knew　in　a　moment　it　was　one　of　the　things　which　he　had　come　to　look　for。

Such　a　fish！　ten　times　as　big　as　the　biggest　trout；　and　a　hundred　times　as　big　as　Tom；　sculling　up　the　stream　past　him；　as　easily　as　Tom　had　sculled　down。

Such　a　fish！　shining　silver　from　head　to　tail；　and　here　and　there　a　crimson　dot；　with　a　grand　hooked　nose　and　grand　curling　lip；　and　a　grand　bright　eye；　looking　round　him　as　proudly　as　a　king；　and　surveying　the　water　right　and　left　as　if　all　belonged　to　him。　Surely　he　must　be　the　salmon；　the　king　of　all　the　fish。

Tom　was　so　frightened　that　he　longed　to　creep　into　a　hole；　but　he　need　not　have　been；　for　salmon　are　all　true　gentlemen；　and；　like　true　gentlemen；　they　look　noble　and　proud　enough；　and　yet；　like　true　gentlemen；　they　never　harm　or　quarrel　with　any　one；　but　go　about　their　own　business；　and　leave　rude　fellows　to　themselves。

The　salmon　looked　at　him　full　in　the　face；　and　then　went　on　without　minding　him；　with　a　swish　or　two　of　his　tail　which　made　the　stream　boil　again。　And　in　a　few　minutes　came　another；　and　then　four　or　five；　and　so　on；　and　all　passed　Tom；　rushing　and　plunging　up　the　cataract　with　strong　strokes　of　their　silver　tails；　now　and　then　leaping　clean　out　of　water　and　up　over　a　rock；　shining　gloriously　for　a　moment　in　the　bright　sun；　while　Tom　was　so　delighted　that　he　could　have　watched　them　all　day　long。

And　at　last　one　came　up　bigger　than　all　the　rest；　but　he　came　slowly；　and　stopped；　and　looked　back；　and　seemed　very　anxious　and　busy。　　And　Tom　saw　that　he　was　helping　another　salmon；　an　especially　handsome　one；　who　had　not　a　single　spot　upon　it；　but　was　clothed　in　pure　silver　from　nose　to　tail。

〃My　dear；〃　said　the　great　fish　to　his　companion；　〃you　really　look　dreadfully　tired；　and　you　must　not　over…exert　yourself　at　first。　Do　rest　yourself　behind　this　rock；〃　and　he　shoved　her　gently　with　his　nose；　to　the　rock　where　Tom　sat。

You　must　know　that　this　was　the　salmon's　wife。　　For　salmon；　like　other　true　gentlemen；　always　choose　their　lady；　and　love　her；　and　are　true　to　her；　and　take　care　of　her　and　work　for　her；　and　fight　for　her；　as　every　true　gentleman　ought；　and　are　not　like　vulgar　chub　and　roach　and　pike；　who　have　no　high　feelings；　and　take　no　care　of　their　wives。

Then　he　saw　Tom；　and　looked　at　him　very　fiercely　one　moment；　as　if　he　was　going　to　bite　him。

〃What　do　you　want　here？〃　he　said；　very　fiercely。

〃Oh；　don't　hurt　me！〃　cried　Tom。　　〃I　only　want　to　look　at　you；　you　are　so　handsome。〃

〃Ah？〃　s