i 4 4 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



the gut right through, and went off with all the hooks 

 in his " Little Mary." How uncomfortable must 

 that poor fish have felt that night ! They were not 

 in the least capricious, and distributed their favours 

 very evenly. Sometimes a dog-fish, who followed 

 in the wake of the glittering salmon, seized the bait, 

 and was hauled to the side of the boat, turning over 

 and over. This necessitated rowing to the other 

 boat, Ahat they might cut the creature off, for we 

 had tp be as careful as can be with the tackle, and 

 such weighty fish play great havoc. 



Suddenly Cecily hooked a mighty salmon, who 

 ran off like a torpedo towards the river, but the water 

 got into his gills and he had to stop. We saw him 

 slashing the surface of the water, churning the sea 

 to little wavelets. Next he ran so close inshore to 

 the rocks we feared the line might be cut, or the 

 weight of the fish break him loose. Cecily took in 

 a few yards of line, and the Leader and Ralph fever- 

 ishly watched the end of the ding-dong struggle. 

 They called to Cecily to make a landing and play the 

 fish from shore, but Cecily was paying out again, 

 and could not for the moment alter her tactics. 

 The salmon got behind a rock, and rested and 

 sulked, and meditated on the problem of life and 

 death. 



I rowed the boat to the beach, and as the boat's 

 nose touched Cecily jumped ashore with the rod in 

 her hand. 



That fish was resolved to die game, but the effort 

 exhausted most of his waning strength, and he was 



