RUNNING A MAHSEER. 37 



morning without having moved a fish. Following the first 

 part of his advice, I reeled up, sat down on a rock, and pon- 

 dered as to whether it would be worth while acting on the 

 last part of it. After I had consoled myself with a pipe, 

 and Chundreea had adjusted a fresh chilwa, 1 I again waded 

 into the river, and loosening a good handful of line, dropped 

 the bait as far across the swirling pool as possible. I have 

 him at last ! Hardly has the chiliva commenced spinning in 

 the water when I feel a heavy pull, which is immediately 

 followed by a splash and a boiling swirl. Bob goes the point 

 of the rod, and " whir-r-r " out runs the tightened line, almost 

 smoking in the rings as it flies from off the reel, which is 

 whizzing and humming with an impatient, irregular cadence, 

 as if angrily remonstrating against the rough treatment it is 

 forced to undergo. Those few moments of thrilling excite- 

 ment repay me in full for all my enduring patience. But it 

 suddenly strikes me that I am between the two rivers, and 

 only a short distance above their junction, beyond which I 

 shall be unable to follow the fish ; and I am fully aware that 

 if he once reaches the heavy and broken flood of the com- 

 bined streams, there will be but little chance of my ever 

 landing him. Consequently I am rather nervous and anxious 

 about his intentions, and feel considerably relieved in mind 

 when he suddenly stops. After remaining almost stationary 

 for a while, jerking and tugging away at the hook until eacli 

 moment I expect to part company with him, he commences 

 boring up-stream, and then takes to sulking in the deep 

 water, where, for a long time, he feels like a log on t lu- 

 st raining line, which is vibrating like a harp-string against 

 the strong current. 



All that can now be done is to get Chundreea to pitch 

 stones in his vicinity. This soon has the effect of indiK im,' 

 tin; fish t> alter his tactics, and the reel resumes its reni<>n- 

 *t ranees as he recommences careering away in such n frantic 



1 A beautiful mlrer-icaled little fih the minnow of Indian water* 



