CONTRARIES OF WEATHER AND SPORT 209 



In the afternoon I was bound to make a show with 

 the big rod, but left the whole-cane trouter where I 

 could pick it up for an evening trial on the scene of the 

 morning's sport. We all got something that day, but 

 the sun was too much for anything but casualties with 

 salmon. With a small Bulldog I found, hooked, and 

 strove with a fish that bored and jiggered most un- 

 conscionably. He worked like a fair salmon so long 

 as he remained dogged ; when once he moved up from 

 the bottom, however, I estimated him for a sample 

 that would at least not prove beyond the 10 Ib. limit 

 of my spring balance. And so it turned out. D. did 

 me the honour of missing him twice in succession with 

 the gaff, and he quite lost his nerve. He threw down 

 the^gaff, in his agitation, and, amidst roars of laughter 

 from a couple of onlookers on the farther side, literally 

 danced about amongst salmon, gaff, and line. Sternly 

 I bade him get out of the way, and by a crowning 

 mercy his gaff at the false strikes, and his feet during 

 the pas deux (he and the salmon were actually waltzing 

 together on the stones) had not touched the line. 

 However, the fish was exhausted, and followed me 

 with commendable docility as I retired in good order 

 up the bank, hauling him bodily. D. now seemed 

 stricken with remorse ; he clattered into the water 

 behind the fish, and with the ferocity of a very Viking 

 kicked it ignominiously up to the grassy plateau to 

 which I had moved. How much avoirdupois the 

 worthy man had kicked out of that salmon I know 

 not ; what remained weighed 7 Ib., and it was a singu- 

 larly bright and handsomely shaped fish. There was 

 this advantage in the application of the boot instead 

 of the gaff the fish was not disfigured by a gashed 

 side. 



The salmon was very welcome, but I was thinking 



H 



