THE STRUGGLE. 107 



and stopped. Not a moment was now to be 

 lost. Five minutes' rest would restore all bis 

 previous power and activity, but a succession of 

 boulders discharged rapidly and witb unerring aim 

 by tbe hand of Simon, and falling within a foot 

 or two of his position, failed to rouse him from his 

 sulky fit. So winding up quickly and advancing 

 at the same time into the water, rather below my 

 fish, where I found a sound, gravelly bottom, I 

 was enabled to wade within a few yards of the 

 spot, and, with a short line, attempted to lift him, 

 as it were, towards the surface. In the event of 

 a salmon being foul-hooked this manoeuvre is 

 generally fruitless, but if the fly is fixed within 

 the jaws it is seldom a failure, and, to my delight, 

 its effect on the present occasion was instanta- 

 neous. Off he went again towards the other side 

 of the river, and then once more faced the stream. 

 Now hurrying out of the water as quickly as 

 possible, and scrambling up the bank, I got well 

 above him, and at last I could feel that his 

 strength was beginning to fail, as, notwithstand- 

 ing the weight, I was able to increase the pressure 

 of the rod without opposition, until I had wound 

 up about forty yards of line spun out during his 

 last run. Now he moved again submissively 

 down stream, but suddenly, when I least expected 



