130 A YEAR OF LIBERTY ; OR, 



whence the glittering insect must pass over our friend's head on the 

 turn. 



" Sweet father ! but that's nate," remarked Pat, his head ad- 

 miringly on one side, as the salmon, feeling the point, plunged 

 savagely on the surface for a moment. "Musha, but the crayther's 

 eight-an'-twinty-pounds." He seemed possessed of all the divine 

 fury of an ancient sea-king now in the air, coming down again 

 with a crash plainly audible above the rush of the river now 

 rattling along at railroad speed. What an absurd sight we must 

 have presented to any calm philosophical looker-on, reeling, tottering, 

 slipping, splashing, struggling, gesticulating, and all because a poor 

 fish (having taken service with a hard master, by mistake) was now 

 trying to run away. Ten minutes twenty, thirty passed, and still 

 the contest raged fiercely as ever. 



" Mind him, for yer sowl mind him ! Och, the devil mend him ; 

 bad luck to that same for a salmon I" screamed Pat, in the wildest 

 state of excitement, as the captive, after a furious race, took an awful 

 perpendicular leap. "He's off; no, he's on !" sprang involuntarily 

 from my lips. I felt that for an instant he was free. Had there 

 been time I would have staked my last farthing on the truth of that 

 belief. Yet, there he was, firm on the hook, tugging laboriously at 

 the line, seventy or eighty yards above me. But the fight was over. 

 That last rush had broken his heart, and, yielding to the pressure of 

 the rod, he came weltering down the stream. Cautiously avoiding 

 the tackle, Willie placed himself in line, and with his usual quiet 

 skill gaffed as gallant a fish as ever died a death of fame. " I'd 

 have sworn," he said, thrusting his hands into the gills, " that the 

 baste was hooked fair; such a pig, too, and him wid the steel in 

 his side." 



After so much excitement, pipes all round were inevitable. As 

 the smoke curled up amongst the green leaves I heard, " Blest if it 

 ain't queer ; look at his mouth, Pat." There, over the inferior jaw, 

 was a long rent. Under the great strain the sharp weapon must 

 have cut its way out, but how it had taken a fresh hold was past 

 my wit to explain. I accepted the fact and was satisfied. Whilst 



