44 AUTUMNS ON THE SPEY. 



dous, and I dared not attempt to check it by an 

 increased pressure on the line. At this moment, 

 just as he was approaching his fate, he rushed 

 into a deeper part of the rapid, A resolutely 

 plunging after him, and almost inserting the clip; 

 but the force of the current, and the sudden 

 exertion combined, carried my friend off his legs, 

 and in an instant his long Macintosh stockings 

 filled with water, and he was swept down some 

 distance, but fortunately recovered his footing, and 

 getting safely back to shore, prepared, if necessary, 

 to swim over to my assistance after I had crossed. 

 As for myself, the moment I saw that the fish had 

 escaped, and was carried down the rapid towards 

 the deep water, I waded over to the opposite side, 

 according to our previous arrangement. It was 

 just as much as I could do without swimming. 

 The round boulders at the bottom, already pressed 

 upon by the force of the stream, seemed to fly 

 from under my feet, buoyed up as I was by the 

 air confined in the legs of the overalls. As I got 

 close to the land, the water was up to my armpits, 

 and I had a struggle to climb the bank and to 

 keep the rod upright all the time, while the line 

 was whizzing away, and it seemed doubtful, for a 

 few moments, whether the reel would not be 

 emptied before I obtained a footing on terra firma, 



