146 MOOSE-HUNTING, SALMON-FISHING, ETC 



Messrs. Davison's work. Just then a lad of 

 sixteen came to the shore, and I offered him 

 fifty cents to wade off to the punt and pole her 

 in shore, which he objected to doing, although 

 the water where she was kellocked was only a 

 foot deep. This annoyed me, so I pulled off 

 a few yards of line, laid down the rod, up 

 kellock, and poled her myself to the shore, 

 then walked up the bank, and reeled my fish 

 so tightly that, in his weakened condition, he 

 could not long resist, and moved in behind 

 another rock 8 or 10 yards off. Now I 

 handed the rod to the boy, with instructions 

 to keep the line tight, took the gaff, and 

 sneaked off towards the fish, put it under him 

 and lifted him. Then there was a commotion ! 

 Great Scot ! What kicking and flouncing ! 

 It required all my strength even then to 

 handle and hold him, but he was soon over- 

 come, and the long battle ended. He weighed 

 27! Ibs. a beauty, one of those thick, plump 

 fellows, the largest fish ever captured in that 

 river before or since, and the largest but one 

 I have ever seen. 



To say that I was tired only faintly conveys 

 my weariness. The muscles of my right arm 



