Salmon Fishing. 199 



all over with it, and I should never set eyes 

 on it again ; but great was my joy, when 

 it was brought round in the eddy within a 

 foot of me, and though in reaching forward 

 to grasp it I went under the surface, I did 

 succeed in catching hold of it, and held it 

 firm enough. I then attempted to climb the 

 bank. Once, twice, thrice, did the rolling 

 pebbles beneath force me off my footing. I 

 was within an ace of being swept down by the 

 swift, strong stream, and when I succeeded 

 better the fourth time, the most trying of all 

 my struggles, was to lift my legs, while I was 

 dragging myself up by clutching the bank 

 above. It seemed as though a hundred weight 

 had been suddenly added to my nether ex- 

 tremities, from the quantity of water in the 

 wading-stockings. 



No sooner did I succeed in standing once 

 more on " terra firma" than a sudden pain 

 seized me in the right knee, so severe as to 

 make me cry out lustily. 



