Salmon Fishing. 243, 



at the fish with the gaff, which scraped his 

 back, but nothing more ; I could have rated the 

 old fellow roundly for his folly, but forbore 

 to do it. 



Once more did I succeed in coaxing the 

 salmon close enough towards the bank, and in 

 the twinkling of an eye Peter got the gaff well 

 under him, and he was hauled out on dry land. 



" Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah !" I verily believe 

 that Napoleon of old, after gaining a hard- 

 fought battle, did not feel prouder than I at 

 that moment when I stood victorious beside 

 gallant Salmo-Salar ! 



Peter, for a Scotchman, was exuberant with 

 delight ! As a practical proof of which, he not 

 only drained his own whiskey-bottle of every 

 drop, but my flask also, which I gladly put 

 into his hands. 



The fish proved to be more than eighteen 

 pounds ; far under Peter's computation, but 

 much more than mine ; very thick, and with a 

 head almost un-naturally small. 



