JASPER ST. AUBYN. 31 1 



succession into the air^ lashing the water with his angry tail 

 and then rushed like an arrow down the chasm. 



" He was gone — but Jasper's blood was up, and thinking of 

 nothing but his sport, he dashed forward, and embarked, with 

 a fearless foot, in the terrible descent. 



" Leap after leap he took with beautiful precision, alighting 

 firm and erect on the centre of each slippery block, and bound- 

 ing thence to the next with unerring instinct, guiding his fish 

 the while with consummate skill through the intricacies of 

 the pass. 



" There were now but three more leaps to be taken before he 

 would reach the flat table -rock above the fall, which once 

 attained, he would have firm foot-hold and a fair field ; already 

 he rejoiced, triumphant in the success of his bold attainment, 

 and confident in victory, when a shrill female shriek reached 

 his ears from the pretty flower-garden ; caught by the sound, he 

 diverted his eyes, just as he leaped, toward the place whence it 

 came; his foot slipped, and the next instant he was flat on his 

 back in the swift stream, where it shot the most furiously over 

 the glassy rock. He struggled manfully, but in vain. The 

 smooth, slippery surface afforded no purchase to his griping 

 fingers, no hold to his labouring feet. One fearful, agonising 

 conflict with the wild waters, and he was swept helplessly over 

 the edge of the fall, his head, as he glanced down foot foremost, 

 striking the rocky brink with fearful violence. 



" He was plunged into the deep pool, and whirled round and 

 round by the dark eddies long before he rose, but still, though 

 stunned and half-disabled, he strove terribly to support himself, 

 but it was all in vain. 



