THE FALLS OF BALLYSHANNON. 295 



wards and forwards, up stream and down 

 stream, tail on end, half-a-dozen springs in 

 the air at once ; then, before I could look 

 round, there he was in the air again behind 

 me. You would have thought that there 

 were two or three fish on at the same 

 time." 



" Why, how did you contrive to keep a 

 tight line?" said the Captain. 



"I did not keep a tight line. How on 

 earth could I? There I was, tied to the 

 spot. I could not take a step for fear of 

 pitching into the deep water ; and that 

 scoundrel Pat gone after the gaff. My 

 line was in bights half the time, and car- 

 ried down by the stream, while the fish 

 was running up like a shot ; so that when- 

 ever I did get a pull on him and found 

 him again, it was just where I did not expect 

 him to be." 



"Well, and how did you land him at 

 last?" 



" Upon my word I do not know. St. 

 Columba was merciful, I suppose. It was 

 no merit of mine, for the fish had it all his 

 own way from first to last. Pat did come 

 back after a good half hour, which seemed 



