A DAY UP THE RIVER. 107 



illegant now! — wheel him up, your honour! 

 — wheel him up!" — and the Scholar, short- 

 ening his line, stepped hack to his old 

 position on the bank of the river. 



Another rush of the line towards the fall : 

 again the Scholar sprang on the high ground 

 and raised his rod ready for the leap ; and 

 again the fish returned on his course, amid 

 the cheers of the crowd. 



A third time the Scholar stepped down 

 with shortened line, and, depressing the point 

 of his rod, prepared to draw the exhausted 

 fish across the current into the shallower 

 water at his feet, when, a third time, he 

 rushed down again, to all appearance as 

 fresh and vigorous as ever, and was again 

 turned by the same manoeuvre. 



" There is something not quite right here," 

 said the Parson ; " no fish ever played the 

 same tricks over and over again with such 

 regularity. Don't come down this time, 

 but keep your rod up, and tighten your line 

 where you stand." 



Up it came, flashing from the water, as if 

 the fish were making a sudden and furious 

 sheer up the stream, and then at once became 

 tight, fixed, and stationary. 



