THE ANGLERS SOUVENIR. 



185 



retarding his downward progress meanwhile by 

 working his paddle with one arm in a figure-of- 

 eight stroke, or resting it against the gravel. 

 Herbert unceremoniously stopped him, and, after 

 a little palaver, the man consented to Herbert's 

 taking his place in the coracle, while he waded. 

 No sooner was Herbert installed in the coracle 

 than he went floating down-stream at a great rate, 

 working wildly and vainly with his left arm to 

 retard his speed, and casting as wildly with his 

 right, while Piscator followed him along the bank 

 laughing heartily. At last Herbert stopped himself 

 a little by resting the blade of the paddle against 

 the stony bed of the river, and was enabled to 

 cast more scientifically. As his flies swept behind 

 a boulder, and over the surface of a small eddying 

 pool, there was a rise, and he found he had 

 hooked a big trout, which rushed off up-stream 

 at a great pace. Herbert lifted his left arm to clear 

 his line, which had fouled the reel. In doing so 

 he dropped the paddle and released the coracle, 

 which careered down-stream as fast as the trout 

 went up. The line was nearly off the reel; 

 neither rod nor line could stand the double strain, 

 so only one course suggested itself, and that was 

 to step out of the coracle into the river, which 

 was there about knee-deep. Coracles, however, 

 are dangerous things. This one shot from under 

 him as he arose from his seat, and he floundered 



headlong into the water. Piscator, seeing that 



M* 



