134 SUMMER ANGLING 



heavy for it, I determined to raise anchor and let 

 her drift to the shallow water, where I could step 

 out and accomplish the deed. The raising of the 

 stone anchor I easily accomplished with one hand, 

 and then prepared to manage the fish. As the 

 boat drifted, however, I found she took a rather 

 erratic course, which, being so light (seventy 

 pounds only), I attributed to the pressure I was 

 putting on the fish. At all events, I suddenly 

 realized that we were in the undertow, and rapidly 

 approaching the dam's fullest rush of water. Once 

 under that, and, with my heavy boots and other 

 paraphernalia, I was. doomed. I tried to row her 

 free, but the hold of that fell stream was great. 

 Still I should have rescued her had not the light 

 oar broken. Then, when there was nothing else 

 to do, I jumped ; and, as fortune would have it, I 

 escaped by some miraculous means the force of 

 the reflecting current, and, with nothing more than 

 a good ducking and some excitement, I swam as 

 best I could, and was pulled out on terra firma, 



What of the boat ? Well, released from my 

 weight, she floated on the upper stratum of the 

 current, and was stranded a few hundred yards 

 lower down. And "what of the fish?" do you 



