142 THE SALMON 



unfortunate third man, not an enthusiastic angler, wet, 

 cold, and hungry, and longing to get ashore at one 

 time even threatening to jump overboard and swim. 

 The change of the tide made the fish frantic, but he 

 decided on going up with it, and did so at a great 

 pace, and shortly afterwards showed himself at last, 

 springing two feet out of the water a monster as large 

 as a well-grown boy and proving that he was not 

 foul hooked, as had been surmised from his behaviour, 

 for the line led fair from his snout. Soon afterwards 

 a strand of the line parted within twenty yards of the 

 end, through the constant friction of the wet line 

 running through the rings for so many hours ; and 

 the problem became complicated by the necessity of 

 keeping the flaw as far as feasible on the reel. The 

 necessity of keeping close on the fish led the boat- 

 man such a life as he will never forget. At last night 

 came on in earnest ; it was half-past six and all but 

 dark before the pier was reached from which the 

 boat had started seven hours before. 



Here, after one churlish refusal, a boat was induced 

 to come alongside, and the unfortunate passenger was 

 transhipped at about eight o'clock with injunctions to 

 send off food and a light. It was an hour before the 

 boat returned with an excellent lantern, a candle and 

 a half, a bottle of whisky, and cakes and cheese 



