232 MOOSE-HUNTING, SALMON-FISHING, ETC 



placed where it was ready for an emergency, 

 so drawing in a foot or two more, he was 

 right in front of me. The time for action was 

 right there. Quick as thought the left grasped 

 the line, and the right the gaff, which was 

 instantly in him, but the rod had to be 

 dropped, as both hands were required to save 

 him. There he is in the boat. Hurrah ! 

 Was I proud, reader ? How would you have 

 been ? Had my gear been in perfect order, 

 the capture of such a fish, 18^ Ibs., would be 

 something the captor might well be proud of, 

 but to take him as you have seen the writer 

 situated, made me more than proud I was 

 just delighted. It was not more than half an 

 hour from the time the boat was anchored 

 till he was in the boat. 



It was too early to go ashore, so I undertook 

 the difficult task of securing those round, 

 polished ends so as to be firm enough for 

 fishing. They could not be spliced, as the 

 wood was powder-posted, so the most was 

 made out of a bad business by using wax. 



The water had been so much disturbed 

 where the first one was hooked that the boat 

 was moored to the head of a gorge formed by a 



