132 A TEAR OF LIBERTY ; OR, 



" Now, now, lie's under the rock. Och ! murtlier, Captin, dear, mind 

 the line." Splash, splash, splash, went stones. " He's in ; he's out ; 

 confound you, throw. No, no ; hold hard," were some of the 

 contradictory orders that greeted our arrival at the scene of action ; 



and what a subject for a painter ! L , pale and nervous ; Pat, 



fiery red, from his frantic exertions in turning up morsels of rock. 

 Our position, far above the water, enabled us to see at a glance that 

 my friend had, indeed, found a prize. There he lay, heading the 

 stream, but dead beat ; nor was the victor in much better condition, 

 for his white lips and trembling hands marked the extremity of his 

 agitation. Now was the moment, as the fish neared the surface, 

 and, yielding to the steady pressure, edged towards the shore. To 

 seize the gaff and slide down the face of the rock, was to Pat 

 scarcely the work of a moment ; a single foot nearer, and he has 

 him. With extended jaws the helpless monster is drawn, inch by 

 inch, closer and closer. Now ! the descending weapon fell short, 

 and scared the quarry, which, with a last laborious effort, paddled a 

 few yards farther from the rock, rolled heavily over, and floated 

 down the stream. Yes, down ! for the hook had slipped. I dared 

 not look at the bereaved man, but gazed wistfully at the exhausted 

 salmon as he glided over the smooth yet rapid water, and disap- 

 peared in the torrent below. With desperate calmness my unhappy 

 companion reeled up the line, looked at the fly, pronounced all 

 right, handed the rod to Pat, renounced its use for ever, apologised 

 in good set terms for the trouble he had caused us, and professed 

 perfect readiness to return home when it suited me. His misfortune 

 was beyond the reach of sympathy. But Willie had yet his own 

 source of consolation to offer. He held out his pipe " Take a 

 blast of that. Captain, and may be 'twill settle you." 



A silent walk of half an hour is a wonderful restorer of the 

 temper, and by the time we reached AUingham's Point the discon- 

 solate had forgotten his vow, and was again eager as ever once more 

 to try his fortune. Interested in his success, we sat on the bank to 

 watch the result. True flew the line, light fell the fly. About the 

 middle of the cast a fish met it, and after something less than half 



