FLY-FISHER. 93 



when sewin fishing was new to me, and when, 

 accompanied by Jack Evans, (one of the most 

 astute poachers and best attendants in the Princi- 

 pality) I hooked and killed, after twenty minutes' 

 fight, a fine salmon, fresh from the salt water. 

 The fish was thrown aside on the gravel bed, 

 while I eagerly essayed a fresh cast; Jack as 

 eagerly watching the fly, and giving his hints as 

 to the most likely parts of the stream ; suddenly 

 a cry from the bank attracted our notice and 

 behold! a great sow, trotting off at the rate of 

 eight miles an hour with the salmon in her 

 beastly jaws ! Away went Jack, and away went 

 I after him ; we chased her through the meadow, 

 up the lane, past the cottages, whence issued 

 spectators; brooms, spindles, and three-legged 

 stools, flew about her ears to no purpose; 

 such shouting and hiDoaing ! the whole village 

 was raised ; at last, giving her no time to munch 

 it, and being run close, she dropped it without 

 farther damage than the marks her ugly tusks 

 had inflicted on each side of the fish. 



To the best of my recollection the fish weighed 

 five pounds and a half; but as I have heard Jack 

 tell the whole story repeatedly since, as he inva- 

 riably adds half a pound to the weight of the fish 

 each time he tells it, and as I never contradict 



