144 MOOSE-HUNTING, SALMON-FISHING, ETC 



made him jump, and when his great body 

 struck the water, he shied into the eddy, and 

 quieted down. 



After seeing the immense size of him, it 

 made me the more anxious to save him. I 

 knew he was much the largest fish that had 

 ever tested my skill, so, slacking the line, the 

 kellock was raised, and as the boat, or rather 

 punt, dropped down towards him, my line was 

 gathered in, until we were only 20 yards 

 apart. By the strain kept upon him, and his 

 heavy fall when he jumped, it was evident he 

 was weakening. Had there been any one 

 with me, the punt could have been moved 

 over him then, and he would have gaffed him ; 

 but that other fellow wasn't there, so the best 

 had to be made of a trying encounter with the 

 means at command. His stubbornness con- 

 vinced me that nothing ordinary would move 

 him, so I unreeled several yards of line and 

 put the rod down, up kellock, and poled the 

 punt towards the shore, stopping at the head 

 of an eddy, then raised the rod and reeled up 

 the slack, putting such a purchase on him 

 that I felt he would not and could not long 

 resist. Nor did he, for in a few minutes the 



