122 



added total), and I was as gloomy as the weather, but 

 fished on in calm desperation. 



At last a long-drawn " Ha " from myself duetted (if 

 I may coin the word) with " Y'r ento 'm, sir," from 

 Guthrie. The fish walloped an instant near the surface, 

 and then behaved with orthodox correctness, went 

 down steady, and swiftly ran out sixty yards of line 

 or so. Of the others I had said, " I shan't like this 

 fish, Guthrie, till he's in the net." Of this one I now 

 observed, " I think he's right this time." Guthrie 

 responded, beaming, "Aye, he's grippit it weel." 



It was a piece of good fortune that I hooked my 

 friend so near shore that I was landed and free on the 

 bank within five minutes. After running across the 

 strong stream the fish moderated speed, and the winch 

 could be worked. Some eighty yards below was a 

 dangerous turmoil of broken water, foaming off to a 

 shallow. The fish was manifestly a good one, and 

 must be kept from those rocks at all hazards. Once 

 in the hurly-burly of the foam the chances would be 

 all on its side. Not a little disconcerting was it to find 

 that it was making to this place with persevering steadi- 

 ness. The tackle was tried and good ; nothing was 

 likely to give but the mouth of the fish. At one time 

 my heart sank, and I feared I was to be outdone again. 

 Pulling hard, the salmon forced me along the pebbly 

 beach, with every ounce of strain I dared. There it 

 was at last, within five yards of the rough water, and 

 then it paused. Gradually it answered my leading, 

 and with a slowness that became positively exciting, 

 moved upwards, say, thirty yards. I heaved a sigh 

 of relief, and Guthrie breathed like a bellows. 



And now the salmon appeared to be struck with a 

 new idea ; it turned aside and shot across the river 

 at a high speed for fifty yards. What meant the 



