138 THE UPPER RAPIDS. 



an ecstacy ; " if that scoundrel does not 

 weigh twenty pounds, I am a rogue. There 

 is always something to he done on this blessed 

 river, he the day as bad as it may. Bring 

 here the steelyards, one of you ; and you, 

 Paddy Mooshlan, get out your waxed silk, 

 and splice me the broken rod as soon as you 

 like. There is no great harm done after all, 

 but that I would readily give the whole rod 

 for such a fish as that any day." 



As the principal object of the fishermen, 

 in coming up the river, had been to get out 

 of the noise and confusion of the fair, no 

 great expedition was made in hurrying on 

 the preparations for dinner — nor, indeed, in 

 the dinner itself. Every one was by this 

 time pretty well convinced tbat little or 

 nothing was to be done by fair fishing ; and 

 to catch another pike asleep was an event 

 hardly to be calculated on. 



" There is not a bit of use in moving yet," 

 said the Captain ; " we do not stand the 

 ghost of a chance with this hot sun over our 

 heads." 



" I am not so much afraid of the sun," 

 said the Parson. "The sun does not affect 

 salmon half so much as it does trout." 



