A TREMENDOUS RUN 183 



heart sank with apprehension, for he was near the 

 opposite bank. Purdie, seeing this, with great 

 presence of mind took up some stones from the 

 channel, and threw them one by one between the 

 fish and the said opposite bank. This naturally 

 brought Master Salmo somewhat nearer ; but still 

 for a few moments we had a doubtful struggle for 

 it. At length, by lowering the head of the rod, 

 and thus not having so much of the ponderous 

 weight of the fish to encounter, I towed him a 

 little sideways ; and so advancing towards me with 

 propitious fin, he shot through the arch nearest me. 

 Deeply immersed, I dashed after him as best I 

 might ; and arriving on the other side of the bridge 

 I floundered out upon dry land, and continued the 

 chase. The salmon, " right orgillous and presump- 

 tive," still kept the strength of the stream, and, 

 abating nothing of his vigour, went swiftly down 

 the Whirls ; then through the Boat shiel, and over 

 the shallows, till he came to the throat of the Elm- 

 wheel, down which he darted amain. Owing to 

 the bad ground, the pace here became exceed- 

 ingly distressing. I contrived, however, to keep 

 company with my fish, still doubtful of the result, 

 till I came to the bottom of the long cast in 

 question, when he still showed fight, and sought 

 the shallows below. Unhappily the alders pre- 

 vented my following by land, and I was compelled 

 to take water again, which slackened my speed. 

 But the stream soon expanding, and the current 

 diminishing, my fish likewise travelled more slowly ; 

 so I gave a few sobs and recovered my wind a 

 little, gathered up my line, and tried to bring him 



