THE SALMON OF CLOOTIE'S HOLE. 351 



making sure that it was all right. " For," said his 

 old relation, "many of our friends have suffered 

 greatly ; some have even suddenly disappeared from 

 our ken by mysterious means unknown as yet to our 

 race, though they are in the course of being investi- 

 gated by a commission." But then he had always 

 xinderstood that these dangerous fragments of food 

 flew at the intending diner and attacked him in the 

 mouth, whereas he was suffering most acute anguish 

 in the tail. He was not, however, in a humour to 

 deliberate very nicely on this incongruity just then ; 

 and while making a mental resolve to discuss the 

 point (a point which had then a grim significance for 

 him) with his hoary old friend at some future time, 

 he endeavoured with all his might to get an oppor- 

 tunity for doing so, for he had at length to acknow- 

 ledge to himself that he was no longer a free agent, 

 but was being gently directed, tail-wards, by some 

 invisible power with which the gaudy fly had some- 

 thing to do. That he, the finest fish that ever swam 

 into the North Sea, the acknowledged king of all, 

 should be treated thus, seemed unbearable. He 

 knew that no other salmon had such a silver coat 

 as he had, that none possessed the great strength 

 that he possessed ; and after remaining quiet for a 

 moment or two, though every nerve and muscle in 

 his body was vibrating with thought, he put all that 

 strength forth. 



A series of tremendous somersaults only acted as a 



