AN ANGLER'S PARADISE 123 



fat fish could be caught at any time, to order, 

 wherein would lie the charm ? I once killed over 

 two hundred trout in one day, on a very prolific 

 loch which lies upon the Moor of Rannoch ; but 

 it became wearisome ; an experience not to be 

 repeated. 



However, my salmon (I call him mine, but alack ! 

 he never did become mine) gave me plenty of variety. 



With feverish haste I wound in the slack, trying 

 to keep pace with the fish which was now running 

 at furious speed toward the boat ; again, as at the 

 end of the first rush, did he hurl himself bodily out 

 of water; but this time he nearly terminated his 

 career for good and all, by flinging himself into 

 the boat. 



" Man ! was thaat no wicked? " exclaimed Ronald, 

 smacking his lips with relish over the word ; and I 

 thought the epithet well-fitted to the circumstance. 



But the uncanny beast was not even yet at the 

 end of his resources ; for once more did he make 

 a tremendous run, and this time played a mean 

 and wily trick. The reel was again hoarsely scream- 

 ing out, while I gazed eagerly in the direction in 

 which the fish had started, when I heard a swish 

 and a plunge behind my back, and was just in 



