THE PACIFIC SALMON. 69 



The angler was soon aroused from his musings by a splash, 

 and, looking up, he saw a great silvery form rise in the air; 

 then another, and another. The canoe is launched with a 

 run. Then the angler climbs over the stern, takes his seat 

 in the bottom, and with a stroke of his paddle sends it swiftly 

 darting over the water. On every side the silvery forms are 

 now leaping. On every side circular rings on the water are wid- 

 ening. Taking his spoon he casts it in the wake of the canoe, 

 and it begins to spin as he moves slowly away. Scarcely does 

 the paddle strike the water three times — scarcely thirty feet of 

 the line has been paid out — when, swish! the line is almost 

 jerked out of his hand. He seizes it in his teeth, drops on 

 his knees, and with a backward stroke of his paddle sends 

 the canoe astern. There are a series of jerks that almost 

 loosen his teeth. Dropping his paddle in the center of the 

 canoe, he again takes the line in both hands, and draws it 

 toward him. It does not come easily, for at the end of it is 

 a twenty-pound Kisutch, battling for life and liberty. At 

 last he is drawn up to the side of the canoe, not exhausted in 

 the least. What a beauty he is, with his blue back, his sides 

 adorned with white, and his under-garments crimson! He 

 has rather an intelligent look in his bright eye. Look out! 

 he is making an effort to be off. He rushes up to the surface, 

 folds his tail under him, and is in the air in an instant. Poor 

 Kisutch! That is just what the angler wanted. There is a 

 quick jerk on the line, and the Salmon comes frying into the 

 canoe. A strong club is drawn and falls heavily across the 

 Salmon's head. There is a quiver, and then all is still. 



The hook is hastily released from his jaw and is again 

 spinning in the wake of the canoe. Foot after foot of line is 

 paid out, until one hundred and sixty feet are out. Then the 

 angler, taking the line in his teeth, paddles swiftly away, but 

 does not go far before the line is jerked from his mouth with 

 such violence that for the instant he imagines his neck is 

 broken. Luckily, the line is fastened to the thwarts of the 



