THE SALMON. 12 7 



dued grunt of satisfaction told that a fish was 

 hooked. The Captain, so placid before, was all 

 excitement. " Pull out ! pull in ! pull away from 

 the rocks ! easy in the bow ! pull Mick ! pull 

 Tom ! " then to me, " Get your line in ! wind up ! 

 wind up, or you'll be entangled !" For once I did 

 not obey with that readiness which I generally 

 exhibit where orders are given the authority of 

 which I recognise. One more cast I could not 

 resist I made it, and I too was " stuck in a fish." 

 Then the wild excitement was at its height : the 

 salmon rushed hither and thither, the reels sung, 

 the lines ran out, the boat pitched and tossed more 

 madly than before, the Captain shouted/ the men 

 -hurraed and bent to their oars till they quivered 

 again, and the spray dashed over the bows in a 

 torrent. The fear of course was that in their reck- 

 less dance the fish, instead of harmlessly "pousset- 

 ting" to each other, should perform a " cJiasser 

 croiser" figure, hands across and back again, and 

 so double the lines one on another, and inevitably 

 escape. I confess that for a minute or more there 

 was not that unanimity of action or counsel which 

 ought to prevail in great emergencies. " Let him 

 run ! " shouted the Captain. " Howld him hard, 

 Master George!" screamed Tom, "give him line, 

 yer honour ! hold up your hand ! drop your point! 



