INTRODUCTORY 21 



swimming upright though slowly, so that 1 

 could see shape and size and the marks on the 

 body, but the end seemed as far off as ever. 

 Not till he was at the top of the water, and it 

 was possible to keep him quiet there, must any- 

 thing be risked. The fish could not be brought 

 within reach of my hand owing to the rushes. 

 The bottom of the river was too soft, and the 

 water too deep at every part for wading. The 

 small net was the only chance, and the risk of 

 using it was so great that I hardly dared to 

 try. It seemed as if any attempt to land the 

 fish with this net would precipitate a catastrophe, 

 which I could not face. More than once I failed, 

 and each failure was horrible. The fish was got 

 partly into the net, but moved and splashed out 

 of it, and the nearer each attempt came to 

 success, the greater was the danger. At last, not 

 only the head but enough of the bulk of the 

 body sank into the net. I lifted it ; there was a 

 feeling of weakness, a sound of something giving 

 way ; the handle bent and the net drooped. I 

 dropped the rod, and somehow with both hands 

 carried or dragged everything up the bank 

 The salmon weighed eight pounds ten ounces, 



