64 SPORT. 



a heated imagination, seem as the struggles of a 

 mighty fish. 



• That fish, that fly, and perhaps that casting-line 

 shall that fisherman never see again ? Such doom 

 and such a result may the gods now avert ! My 

 plungings and prancings have brought me to the 

 foot of my wooden bridge — made very high on 

 purpose to avoid the perils above described (and 

 for the same purpose I keep well behind or up- 

 stream of my fish) — which I hurry over with long 

 strides, and many an anxious glance at my ninety or 

 lOO yards of line waving and tossing through the 

 angry breakers encompassed by a hundred dangers. 

 With rod high held and panting lungs I spring 

 from the bridge, and blunder as I best may along 

 the stony and uneven bank for another loo 

 yards with unabated speed. I am saved ! Safe 

 floats the line in the deep but still rapid and stormy 

 water beyond the extremest breaker, and here, for- 

 tunately for me, my antagonist slackens his speed, 

 having felt the influence of a back-water which 



