SALMON ANOLINa IN ffiELAND. 289 



a second rise, and in due time with a third, fourl^, fifth, and sixth. 

 More than half an hour had been spent, but not a scale had as yet 

 found its way into our pannier. 



*' There, he's stuck in a third," remarked my poor companion 

 with the calmness of despair. " It's all right," tossing the casting- 

 line in the air ; *' try him once more, any way." 



One of the honest fellow's peculiarities was a jealous hatred of any 

 man who chanced to kill a fish in his immediate neighbourhood. 

 Such an act always appeared to him as a personal injury, and, like 

 many of the followers of Knox, having a long memory for disagree- 

 ables, he usually held a large amount of unpaid debts, which sooner 

 or later he contrived to liquidate. 



Stealing involuntary glances at my fortunate neighbour, we once 

 more came over our fish, who this time made a dashing plunge at 

 the dropper, more in sport than earnest ; but it is unwise playing 

 with edged tools, and so our shy acquaintance foujid when the trail 

 sank deep in his flank. Master and man were savage, and the 

 tackle was new. Strong measures were in fashion ; and a desperate 

 strain was kept up, and as the salmon wallowed over the surface 

 "Willie made a successful dash at him with the gaff. Huddling our 

 first prize into the basket, we proceeded to take vengeance on our 

 treacherous host by keeping ahead and fishing all the best pools we 

 could reach first. 



But the veteran was not to be done in this way. As we hurried 

 on, he hung back, placing a longer and longer interval of time 

 between us, thus making the pools we had too lightly fished " as 

 good as new " for himself. Whenever we caught sight of him the 

 wicked old commander seemed always to prosper, and in the opinion 

 of my jealous attendant, must have bagged at least half a score of 

 fish. It really was provoking, but do what we would, success still held 

 aloof. If we hooked a salmon, some disaster was sure to attend us. 

 Two had been lost by the mouth giving way, and a third had been 

 knocked off the line when ready for the gaff, by an officious trout 

 taking the other fly ; and still the Major's rod seemed to continue in 

 a chronic "state of bend," 



IT 



