176 O'er Crag and Torrent 



casting where the stream came in, most 

 devoutly hoping no small fish would rise to 

 disturb the water, I had got half-way be- 

 tween the feeding stream and the projecting 

 bank when there was a swirl I had him one 

 heavy rush, not towards the bank, but up 

 stream towards the alders, and then he settled 

 down to dignified and steady resistance, and 

 for five minutes or more, though I knew I 

 had him on, I never caught even a glimpse 

 of him. At last it seemed to dawn upon my 

 majestic captive that it was time to be up 

 and doing. Shaking himself, with a heavy 

 plunging roll over he tore down stream; the 

 reel shrieked, but I took jolly good care not 

 to have any slack line, so that when he gave 

 another plunging roll and began to bore up 

 stream again I had him well in hand. 

 Suddenly he must have seen me, for he made 

 a desperate rush for the opposite bank under 

 the willow, but thank the Fates, fortune 



