PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 63 



stump speech. I had reached a cast of perhaps 

 fifty feet, in a direct line, and was watching my fly 

 as intently as ever astronomer watched the unf old- 

 ings of a newly discovered planet, when a monster 

 head emerged from the water, and with distended 

 jaws disclosing his red gills so distinctly as to 

 make his throat look, to my excited imagination, 

 like a fiery furnace made a dash (which seemed 

 like the splurge of a sea-horse) for my fly. It was 

 my duty, of course, to accept the challenge and 

 " strike " at the right moment and so hook my fish 

 and take the chances for the mastery. But I had 

 no more power to " strike " than if every limb and 

 nerve and muscle was paralyzed. My rod remained 

 poised but motionless, and I stood gazing at the 

 spot where the apparition appeared, in speechless 

 amazement, while the fly which had, for a single 

 moment, been buried in that great open sepulchre 

 reappeared upon the surface quite unconscious 

 of the terrible ordeal through which it had passed. 

 I do not know that any one could have " knocked 

 me down with a feather " at that particular mo- 

 ment ; but I do know that I never before came so 

 near " going off in a faint," or found a cup of cold 

 water more refreshing. I had heard of those who 

 had had the " buck fever," and I shall hereafter 

 have more sympathy and greater respect for them, 

 for I undoubtedly had the malady in its most ag- 



