A DAY AT LOUGH MELVIN. 63 



There was one moment of suspense, for 

 the salmon always takes time to think before 

 he makes his run ; but the tugging of the 

 captive gillaroo soon made him sensible of 

 his danger, and in an instant of time the 

 lines were rushing and rattling out from 

 both the reels. 



" Give him the butt!" " Let him have 

 line now!" " Holy Virgin! keep his head 

 off the ground !" " Ah now ! keep the point 

 of your rod up, can't ye !" Such were the 

 contradictory orders and advice bellowed out, 

 at one and the same time, to the perplexed 

 and frightened Scholar, who did his very best 

 to obey them all, but without any very clear 

 idea of what he was wanted to effect. But 

 the Squire was an old fisherman, and played 

 the fish well. His was the in-shore boat ; 

 and as the object of the fish was to head for 

 the deep water, and consequently to pull 

 from him, he had the whole work in his 

 own hands, with the full advantage of a 

 tight line ; while all his partner had to do 

 was to keep the slack of the line out of his 

 way, and to watch for a turn. 



At last, frightened perhaps by the off- 

 shore boat, which lay right in his course, 



