232 SALMONIA . L NINTH DAY. 



HAL. He is much narrower or less broad, as you 

 would immediately discover, if you had a sea trout 

 here. But now we must try another pool, or the 

 tail of this; that fish was not alone, and at the 

 moment he took the bait I think I saw the water 

 move from the stir of another. Take your rod and 

 fit your own tackle, Ornither; half the glory of 

 catching this fish is yours, as you prepared the hooks. 

 I see you are in earnest ; the blood mounts in your 

 face. Oh ! ho ! Ornither, you have pulled with too 

 much violence, and broken your tackle. Alas ! alas ! 

 the fish you hooked was the consort of mine ; he will 

 not take again. 



ORN. The gut was bad, for I do not think I 

 struck too violently. What a loss ! How hard, to 

 let the first fish of the kind I ever angled for escape 

 me! 



HAL. There are probably more ; try again. 



ORN. Behold, the loss was more owing to the 

 imperfection of the tackle than to my ardour; for 

 the two end hooks only are gone, and you may see 

 the gut worn. 



HAL. The thing is done, and is not worth 

 comment. If you can, let the next fish that rises 

 hook himself. When we are ardent, we are bad 

 judges of the effort we make ; and an angler who 

 could be cool with a new species of salmo, I should 



