66 A DAY AT LOUGH MELVIN. 



water, and the Captain had no sort of objec- 

 tion that he should go there, when, casting 

 his eye forward, he caught sight of a long 

 line of weeds lying right across their course. 



" Give way sharp with the starboard oar. 

 Head the boat to the east. Now pull up 

 abreast of the fish. Give way ! give way I* 

 And jumping forward to the bows of the 

 boat, and at the same time shortening in his 

 line, he brought the point of his rod within 

 an inch of the water. The boat and the 

 fish were now running in parallel lines, 

 about ten yards from each other, the boat, 

 if anything, leading, and the Captain, by 

 keeping a powerful strain on his line, at 

 right angles to the fish's course, caused him 

 gradually to deflect from it, and to describe 

 the quadrant of a circle ; and thus, though 

 unable to head him, he guided him along 

 the edge of the weeds, until they reached, to- 

 gether, their terminating point, and nothing 

 but deep and open water lay before them. 



"Now, let him run," said the Captain, 

 easing the strain from his line, which had 

 been severely tried ; " easy with your oars — 

 we are all safe — let him go where he pleases." 



But the fish did not please to go much 



