188 THE SALT OF MY LIFE 



though a powerful fighter is not an adversary of 

 such extreme mettle, for already he has halted in 

 his mad career, a respite of which advantage is 

 taken to reel in half a dozen yards. Steady there ! 

 A fish of such size must be wound in gingerly, 

 with caution, and the hand must be ever on and 

 off the winch, winding only when the fish is so 

 minded, since at this early stage of the struggle 

 a direct clash of wills would mean disaster. Away 

 goes the bass again, with strength renewed by 

 its brief rest. Its yielding was but a feint, and 

 this time it runs out twice as much line as I reeled 

 in, and so is further from the boat than ever. 

 Another halt, another reeling in ; and now we are 

 nearly up to the bridge, for all the time the boat 

 has drifted along. For a moment I am undecided 

 whether to shoot through the middle arch and 

 kill the fish above the bridge, but that means 

 losing time, so " This side, Cox ! " I say ; and Cox 

 understands, with the knowledge born of many 

 such encounters, that he is to back the boat into 

 the shallows on the railway side. It is there, under 

 the windows of the early train, that the last stand 

 is made. Gallantly the bass disputes every yard, 

 for he is fighting for his last chance now, and he 

 knows it. Gradually, and with fewer interrup- 

 tions, I get the fine line back on the reel, and now 

 his green head can be seen on the surface, shaking 

 the worrying hook, as a terrier shakes a rat, and 



